


Sea Grumps

by SunniApplePie



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Egobang - Freeform, F/M, Fantasy, M/M, Non-Canon Relationship, Pirates, Romance, Sirens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-11
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2018-04-25 19:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 60
Words: 80,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4973443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunniApplePie/pseuds/SunniApplePie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captain Arin Raptor seeks treasure and adventure as he and his pirate crew sail the seas on their ship The D-Cruiser. However when a siren by the name of Dan joins in on the action, what's in store for the group, and most notably, Arin?<br/>(Based off my Sea Grumps AU which you can learn more about on my blog!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Siren's Song

 

Captain Arin Raptor held tightly to the helm of his ship, as he curved a tight turn around a large pile of rocks blocking his path. The D-Cruiser splashed violently on the waves, as Arin regained his balance. 'There....that wasn't so hard.' Arin thought to himself proudly.

He already heard Ross complaining “I’ma be sick.”

"Stop whining, man. We've been out of port for like 10 minutes." Arin rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, and you’re driving like a drunk guy.” Ross groaned, laying on his stomach.

"Like you could drive any better?" Barry retorted, as he himself looked woozy from the ship's rocking.

“Sure, if I thought really hard on it.” Ross sighed, hugging his stomach.

"Look, the sooner you guys stop being sissies, the sooner we can get to our point." Arin stated, turning the wheel, as Ross and Barry fell backwards from the force. Ross groaned loudly, holding onto Barry “I’ma throw up bro.” "Do NOT throw up on me, man." Barry replied.

“Briannnnn, how’s it look?” Ross called. Brian, on top of the mast, merely shrugged in reply. “You suckkkkk.” Ross whined.

"The birdie sees clear seas?" Arin called, referring to their navigating assassin above. Brian merely shook his head. “Arinnnnnn, let’s go home.” Ross complained. "Why? Don't you wanna taste that fucking bounty of loot, dude?" Arin asked. “I’d like to not taste my own throw up.” Ross grumbled.

"Come on, man! We've been hot on this trail for days! It'd be fucking stupid to turn back now!" Arin protested.

"Yeah, hot on the trail of some dumbass rumor you heard in a bar in the last town." Barry moaned.

Brian then froze as he noticed a lot of fog rolling in. Arin noticed this too, as he squinted his eyes "Fuck."

“Oh god, it’s like a scary story come to life.” Ross shivered.

Barry frowned "This is gonna suck."

"Relax, man. We can get through this fucking stupid fog. Or my name's not Captain Arin Raptor." Arin said boldly.

“Whatever, Mr. Confidence.” Ross grumbled.

Arin steered slowly into the fog, keeping his eyes peeled for anything that might come. All he was met, though, was an almost endless wave of mist blocking his vision ahead.

Arin then stopped upon hearing a lovely voice singing to him.

The crew paused, as the ship went silently on the water; only the mysterious noise seemed to fill the air. The singing kept going, sounding so alluring and beautiful. Brian jumped down from the mast as Barry looked around "Where's that coming from?"

“Don’t listen to it.” Brian urged, covering his ears. "Kinda hard when Ross is gripping my arms." Barry grumbled as Ross immediately let go.

_"Arinnnnn..."_

Arin frowned, walking from his post to the men on deck. He surveyed his surroundings, but only the fog was in his view. However as the captain walked, his brain began to cloud and become unfocused. That music was beautiful.

Barry took control of the wheel as their captain seemed suddenly out of sorts. Brian noticed Arin as he frowned “Ross! Snap Arin out of it!”

Ross turned quickly and ran up to the captain, placing his hands over Arin's ears. However, Arin was so deep in a daze that the singing still reached him. "It's not working!" Ross exclaimed, as Arin started to walk forward across the deck. “Fuck! Stop him!” Brian demanded.

Ross grabbed Arin's arms, pulling back forcefully, as the dazed captain merely kept going; almost like nothing was holding him back. “Ross, where’s he going?” Barry shouted. Ross pulled, and let out a gasp "He's heading for the plank!!" Brian grabbed Arin and began to pull him back as well. “Damn it Arin! I know that voice sounds nice but it’s not!” Brian reasoned. "He won't be able to hear you, man!" Ross cried, still clutching onto Arin.

“K-Knock him out!” Brian demanded. "With what?!" Ross retorted. “Find something you moron!” Brian shouted. Ross then let go to grab something to use, as Arin continued to walk, closer and closer to the ship's edge. Brian tugged on his waist to try and get him to stop.

"Arin!!" Ross cried, running for him with his sword. “Don’t kill him you moron!” Brian snapped. "I fucking know that, dipshit!" Ros cried, using the hilt of the sword and bopped it hard on Arin's head.The captain stopped right in his tracks, with only a few inches to spare from going over the plank's edge.

“D-Did it work?” Barry called. Ross and Brian paused, letting go lightly as Arin stood motionless on the deck, swaying only slightly from the ship's movement.

Everyone sighed in relief but it was very short lived.

Arin then took a step out, and fell right off of the ship and into the ocean.

“ARIN!!” Ross cried.

“Fuck…” Brian grumbled.

The captain disappeared under the water, bubbles appearing on the surface as Ross leaned over the railing with shaking hands. “Um...d-d-do we go after him?” Ross trembled. "I-I don't-" Brian began before they spotted Arin come up to the surface. “Arin!” Ross cried.

The captain looked shocked as he frowned up at his crew "The fuck am I doing in the ocean?!"

“You fell in, you moron.” Brian shouted.

"Why the fuck would I be falling in? I was up at the helm!" Arin argued.

“Some damn voice called out to you or something.” Ross shrugged as they all heard the singing coming back.

Arin frowned "Fuck...alright, now I-"

“Arin, don’t listen!” Ross begged.

"I'm not!" Arin said.

Arin tried to ignore it but the singing was too much as he started to hear whispers of his name. The captain turned, seeing through the fog; red eyes staring right at him. He could make out a hand gesturing him to come. Arin violently shook his head, as he tried to swim for the railing.

That’s when the whispers came back...

_“Arinnnnn.....”_

Arin reached for the rail, only to have something beneath him rip him down and under the waves. "Arin!!" His crew screamed. Arin cried out, but had no choice but to surrender as he was dragged into the fog and disappeared out of sight.

 

~~~

 

The captain coughed violently, as he lifted himself onto the sand of a small beach. His mind was still twisting and rattling with the sounds and whispers, as he could spot someone sitting on the rocks.

“Heyyyy, come here....” The figure beckoned.

Arin followed, despite himself.

Arin got up to the rocks, to see a tall male siren with long curly brown hair beckoning him forward. Slender but fit, with red eyes and blue scales scattered on his body, he grinned coyly at the dazed captain, using his index finger to urge Arin over.

 “Come hereeeee, you must’ve worked hard to get hereeee.” The siren soothed, seducing handsome as he called Arin.

Arin nodded absentmindedly, as he walked closer, not taking his eyes off the alluring siren.

Beside Arin's seducer, another siren sat near him. Black haired with a single blonde streak, her eyes turning red and deadly as she swished her black and purple tail at the incoming prey "Good work, my brother...you've improved on your skills since before..."

The male siren nodded as he urged Arin some more “Come hereeee, let me hold youuuu.”

Arin came inches away from the sirens; his disposition seemed he was in a strange piece of mind.

“That’s it...come onnnn.” The male siren smiled. His "sister" grinned evilly "Once he's close, go in for the kill..." The female siren hissed.

“Let me hold him first.” The male siren requested.

Arin fell to his knees in front of the two sirens, looking tired as he took a shaky breath.The male siren smiled, petting his head “See? You did itttttt.”

The male siren slowly held Arin, stroking his hair “That wasn't so bad, was ittttt?”

"Now, hold him and get the job done." The female requested sadistically.

"Why can't I do it?" A voice said not far off. The sirens turned as a young siren with a green tail meekly swam towards them, ruffling his wet black hair as he watched.

“Go away.” The male siren hissed.

"It's his kill, young one. You'll get your turn next." The female said, as the young siren came close by.

The male siren looked at Arin, noticing how attractive he was. "Hmm...such a nice face..." He muttered. He'd seen many handsome faces of his victims before, but none like this one. For some reason, the siren was attracted to his features more than any others. The male siren began to stroke Arin’s hair some more, smiling “I like him.”

"Just gut him, and get it over with." The female frowned, looking slightly irritated.

“Come on Suzy....he’s too cute.” The male siren frowned back.

"So were the others." Suzy replied.

"But...he's...different." The male siren protested.

"How different could he be? He's like all the rest; he's a walking bag of flesh. Flesh that we could be eating right now." Suzy stated.

“Come on Suzy, I wanna hold him.” The male siren sighed.

"Since when do you care so much for a human? You didn't the last thousand times you've seduced and eaten them." Suzy stated.

“Well...this one is kinda cute.” He pouted.

"You think everything, even clownfish, are cute." Suzy sighed.

“I’m keeping him.” The male siren grinned.

"The hell you will, Dan. Kill him." Suzy growled, her eyes glowing red with hunger.

“No.” He sighed, stroking Arin’s hair.

Suzy rolled her eyes "Like we can keep him alive. That's a death threat waiting to happen."

“My kill, my rules.” Dan urged.

"You're such a bottom-feeder." Suzy huffed.

Dan stuck his tongue out childishly as he grinned at his 'prey'.

“Heyyyyy....you’re so lonely on your knees.” Dan soothed.

"I can't even believe this." Suzy stated, crossing her arms.

“Come onnnn, I know you can stand up.” Dan urged. Arin nodded, as he stood up shakingly on the sand.

“Now come hereeeeee, I wanna hold you closeee.” Dan smirked at Suzy.

Suzy scoffed, looking away "This is getting gross to see."

“Not gross. It's cute.” Dan reasoned.

"Whatever Dan, play with your food all you want. But you know you have to do what you must in the end, Dan. Kevin, lets go." Suzy hissed as she and the young siren went to the edge of the beach and swam off.

Dan sighed as he looked at Arin “Heyyyy, let me hold you....”

Arin complied, as he came inches away from Dan. Dan pulled Arin into his lap as he caressed Arin's head. Arin's chest rose and fell gently as Dan held him close. It was oddly enough, peaceful to both of them. Arin was in a daze, but he somehow looked at ease, like whatever was happening around him was comforting. The sounds of the ocean filled the air, as Dan looked at his prey, twisting the ends of Arin's wet hair. For a hypnotized human, Arin seemed to like being in Dan's company.

“So cutieeee, do you have a name?” Dan giggled.

"Arin?! Where are you?!" A loud voice called from up the beach, surprising the siren.

Dan blinked “Arin? A-Are you Arin?” The captain looked tiredly at him, gently nodded at the mention of his name.

“Wow...you’re...you’re so cute.” Dan smiled, stroking his cheek.

The sounds of footsteps started to come closer towards the beach, as Ross, Barry, and Brian came into view. Before Dan could be seen, he tossed Arin aside and jumped into the water. Ross then stopped to see the unconscious body of his captain "Arin! Shit, he's over here!". “Come on, let’s get him back on the ship!” Brian demanded. The three came around Arin and hoisted him up as they walked back up the beach to their ship.

Dan watched from behind the rocks, blushing a bit. "Fuck...he washed up farther than I thought he would." Barry huffed. “Yeah, but we got him now. He'll be ok...” Brian reasoned.

“I-I feel like we’re being watched.” Ross shivered.

Brian paused, looked around the beach with cold eyes. Dan hid out of their sights but hoped they wouldn’t find him. "You see anything?" Barry asked. “Nah…” Brian mumbled, letting it go for now. The men then carefully took their captain back to the ship.

Once they were far enough, Dan swam under the water to follow them.


	2. Ocean Dreams

"So...I wound up on a beach?" Arin asked, still shaking from his dip in the water. The crew had managed to get the dazed captain back to the ship, as they huddled together in the captain's quarters, discussing what happened.

“Yeah, it was kinda creepy. I felt like eyes were on us.” Ross sighed.

"That's a deserted beach though, right?" Barry asked.

“It doesn’t matter. Arin, you need to rest.” Brian reasoned, pushing Arin back on his bed. Arin frowned at the command.

"What? I'm the goddamn captain, I should be up there." Arin said, attempting to stand before he gripped his head and groaned.

“No, you need to recover. You could have died. Now just take it easy. I can take over.” Brian sighed.

"You can't control the boat as good as I can." Arin pouted.

“Well, I’ll do my best.” Brian retorted.

Ross grinned "Thank god." Barry gently shoved Ross in the shoulder, as Arin sighed heavily. "Alright...Brian's in charge."

“Please get some sleep Arin.” Barry urged.

"We'll be back to check on you." Brian reassured.

With that, the three left the room as Arin sighed again. His mind was still fuzzy, but now that he wasn't under some crazy spell, he could remember some bits and pieces from before. The sea pounding his ears. The sand on his fingers from the beach. A voice echoing in his head.

_‘Come hereeee, let me hold youuuuu.’_

Arin frowned, shaking his head to rid himself of that memory.

After the shock of his near-death experience had passed, Arin just wanted to sleep and the urge to close his eyes was coming in strong. The captain took a breath, hoping the waves wouldn't be too rough, as he laid back on his bed. He looked up at the ceiling, memories spinning as he dropped down into a deep sleep. All of them blurry and unclear; only the waves and ocean sucking him under and floating on the water. Except for one moment. The one that kept coming back.

A voice was calling out to him.

_“Come hereeeeee, let me hold youuuuu.”_

Arin turned, looking for the source. He could see someone gesturing him to come closer. A figure in the distance surrounded by fog. _“Come onnnnn, you can do ittttt.”_

Arin's mind started to cloud, as he cringed. _“Come onnnn, let me hold youuuu.”_ The voice soothed.

Arin felt compelled to come nearer, but something was holding him back. _“You can do ittttt, come onnnnn.”_ The voice urged.

Arin came closer to the sound, taking a shaky breath. He felt a pair of eyes on him but he didn’t care. _“Come onnnn, it’s ok.”_ The voice reassured. Arin smiled absentmindedly, until he felt strong hands hold him back.

"Arin, don't!" 

Arin turned behind him to see Ross, Brian and Barry pulling him away from the voice, their faces filled with fear "Don't do it, man!"

 _“Arinnnnn, come hereeee.”_ The voice pleaded.

"Don't fucking listen! Snap out of it!" Ross screamed.

 _“Arinnn...don’t goooo.”_ The voice purred.

Arin walked a bit closer, and seemed right at arm's reach of the figure, before his friends pulled him back violently, making Arin cry out.

“Arin! Wake up! Wake up!” Barry demanded.

Arin moaned, as Barry shook him from his sleep "Dude, wake up!"

Arin snapped his eyes open, seeing a concerned Barry.

"B-Ba-Barry?" Arin gasped, as his breath quickened from his awakening.

"Yeah, dude. It's me..." Barry nodded

Arin swallowed hard, his mind racing as his heart thumped rapidly in his chest.

“Hey...It's alright...You were having some kinda nightmare.” Barry sighed.

"I...I was?" Arin muttered.

“Yeah man, you kept whimpering and trying to reach out.” Barry shrugged.

Arin frowned, as he looked down in thought. Why the hell would he do that? "Shit..."

“Yeah, that dip in the water must’ve given you some fever.” Barry stated, feeling Arin's forehead lightly. Just as he thought, he was warmer than normal.

Arin sighed, sitting upright "Maybe....hey Barry?"

“Hm?” Barry smiled gently.

"I...I don't...dude, there was...someone. In my dream." Arin replied. “Do you know who it was?” Barry wondered as he sat down on the chair across from Arin. Arin shook his head "It was just...this voice. And it was like...whoever it was, was beckoning me..."

“Maybe it was someone who needed help?” Barry suggested. "Fuck, I don't know...but...maybe...that's who got me on land? Because you guys said I washed up farther on the beach than you thought?" Arin wondered. “No idea....” Barry shrugged.

Arin ruffled his still wet hair "Man...this is all so...weird...."

“It’ll be okay.” Barry reasoned.

"....Yeah. I guess." Arin shrugged; he was not so sure.

Arin tried to think back, but whenever he did, he was met with the same thing; the waves, the fog, and the voice. He grew pale as his mind played the voice's beckoning over again; it made his very flesh crawl.

“Did you wanna try driving the boat?” Barry asked, seeing that the captain was in need of some fresh air.

"How's Brian doing? Does he suck at it like I thought?" Arin guessed. “Welllllll….yeah. He keeps almost hitting rocks.” Barry shivered. Arin sighed "Serves me right. Assassins can't drive as good as me. They're all too busy killing assholes then steering a fucking ship."

The two then left the room as Arin took control of the wheel again. Brian ignored the glare from Arin as he climbed back up onto the mast to the crow's nest, looking back at the map in his hands. Ross looked through his telescope as he scanned the water ahead "Clear seas, captain!"

“We should put the net down later, try to find some nice crabs or fish.” Barry suggested. "Dude...fry up some shrimp...oh my god my mouth is literally watering." Ross grinned. “Come on Ross, let’s toss the net down.” Barry urged, liking the sound of that meal Ross had in mind.

Ross nodded "What do you think, Arin?" “Sounds good.” Arin shrugged, knowing a nice meal would be good for them all. Ross eagerly ran and grabbed the net, as Barry came to his assistance. "Alright, ready?" “Yep.” Barry nodded. Together, the two tossed the net right into the ocean, and waited patiently by the railing.

"Dude, I'm so fucking hungry, it's not even funny." Ross stated. “How do we know when to pull up?” Barry wondered. "Easy. I got this rope. And once I feel a tug, we both pull hard on it. That should lift it up back onto the deck." Ross explained. “Sounds good.” Barry nodded.

Ross waited, feeling small tugs here and there, but none catch-worthy. "God, it's not big enough. We should wait a bit, till a big one comes it." Ross sighed. “Well maybe some crabs or shrimp are just chilling in there. Like...calling their buddies to come chill with them.” Barry shrugged. Ross grinned "They're having like, a mini party down there." “Yeah, a cute lil party.” Barry giggled.

Ross suddenly felt a small tug on his line, as he frowned. This one was a bit stronger than the last few "Huh..." “What is it?” Barry asked. "I don't feel that much weight on-" Ross began, before a large tug on the rope made his grab tightly to it. "Barry, we got something!"

Barry gripped the rope, ready to help Ross. “Man...this thing feels like really heavy.” Barry complained. "Yeah, help me pull hard, man!" Ross grunted.

The two kept pulling as the net began to surface. However, what they saw was surprising.

They had caught a lot of crabs and shrimp but they could see a long tail flopping wildly in the trap. Bigger than any fish they had both seen. They both stepped closer, to discover a siren stuck in their net.

Ross took a step back, releasing his grip in the rope, as Barry grabbed it back. The siren was whimpering, looking around the trap, trying to escape with tears in its eyes.

"Umm..." Barry began, before Ross took off running in terror.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a catch, huh? *troll face*
> 
> (P.S. this chapter's name is titled after the Dean Evenson album of the same name)  
> (song of choice for this chapter: "Will You Hear Me?" http://youtu.be/eC8dkmPeq60 )


	3. High Tides

“Duuuuude! I-I caught a thing!” Ross panicked as he darted towards the helm, flailing his arms madly around.

Arin, a bit busy in his own thoughts, suddenly snapped out of it "What? What did you catch?"

“S-Some...some kinda guy…” Ross fussed.

Arin frowned "Brian, go check it out!"

Brian jumped down from the crow's nest, and gasped at the sight “They...they caught a siren!”

"Wait hold on, what?!" Arin  suddenly took off from the helm and came down to the deck.

The captain stood baffled at the catch in the net. The siren was crying, trying to find a way out as he sniffled loudly. Arin blinked "What....how-how did you guys do that?"

"Beats...me..." Barry grunted as he held tightly to the rope.

Dan looked at them with scared eyes, beginning to cry at the situation he was stuck in. He had never been caught in something before; making the poor siren clench nervously at the ropes keeping him in.

Arin turned to Brian "You think we should let him go?"

“Hell no! He’s a siren, he could kill us!” Brian stated.

Arin looked back at the siren with curiosity "Well....I mean..."

The two then gazed at each other, as Arin lightly observed the siren's features. A scar was on his left eyebrow, possibly from the net or from something before. His green and blue eyes were murky and red from his tears, as Arin felt guilt slowly crawling up his skin. “L-Let me go…p-please.” The siren whimpered, his curly hair falling over his teary eyes.

Arin looked saddened as he looked to Brian "Dude, maybe we should..."

"Are you fucking nuts, man?" Ross cried.

“There’s food in there...well...minus the siren.” Barry frowned.

"I...I mean...we could just get the crabs and shit and then toss him back out to sea?" Arin suggested.

“Fine.” Brian huffed as the siren sniffled again.

Barry took a step back, however his grip seemed to slip, as he unknowingly let go of the rope, sending Dan and the contents of the net landing hard on the deck. "Fuck!" Barry muttered. The curly haired siren winced, hitting his head as he fell. He blinked with blurred vision as he moaned in pain.

"Dammit, Barry! You hurt him!" Arin scowled.

“Who cares?” Brian shrugged.

Ross frowned "Let's just get the stuff and toss him back."

The men began to pick up the crabs and fish, while Dan laid there on the deck, head spinning from it all; he felt faint. Arin noticed his limpness and stopped instantly "Wait a second."

“What?” Brian sighed with annoyance.

"We should...maybe move him a little over here." Arin stated.

“Why?” Brian grumbled.

"He looks, kinda disoriented." Arin pointed out.

“Let him be that way then.” Brian shrugged.

"Well, I'm the captain, so I'm fucking moving him." Arin stated.

Brian shook his head, dealing with the shrimp and crabs instead.

Arin came a few inches closer to the siren, still keeping a cautious foot away from him "Hey...don't, don't panic. I-I'm gonna move you over here out of the way, alright?"

The siren lightly lifted a weak hand “Arin…” The siren breathed.

Arin looked shocked as he furrowed his brows "You...you know my name?"

“Yes…” Dan mumbled, his vision blurred.

"H-How..." Arin stuttered, before Ross intruded "Arin, get the siren out of the way, we're almost done here!"

Dan looked ready to faint, still injured from the fall. Arin knew he couldn't keep him that way. He cautiously put his hands under the siren's arms as he lifted him then gently pulled Dan to the mast and leaned him upon the wood. He bent down to the siren's level, lightly moving the stray hair from his face "Alright just...take it easy."

“Easy….” Dan repeated softly, before fluttering his eyes and blacking out.

Arin frowned "Dammit. Guys, he's out cold."

“Just toss him back in.” Brian sighed.

Arin glanced back at the siren then to the assassin "Doesn't that seem a little...inhumane, Brian?" Arin smirked.

“Yes and it’s the right thing to do. He’s not even human anyway.” Brian sighed.

"But...fuck, throwing him back in while he's out. A little harsh, isn't it?" Arin retorted.

“No.” Brian reasoned.

"We got the crabs....time to choose, man." Barry sighed.

Arin looked back at the unconscious creature, seeing his chest slowly rise and fall. He felt a huge void of guilt in his stomach.

“Come on Arin, he’s not even human!” Brian shouted.

"Don't I fucking know that?" Arin argued.

“Toss him back in! He’d eat us anyway so he’s better off in the ocean!” Brian screamed.

"I..." Arin glanced again at the siren, and frowned "Dude, I can't."

Brian then walked over, picking up Dan as Arin gasped.

“I’ll do it.” 

Brian began to walk away with the siren in his arms when Arin jumped to his feet.  "The hell you will, Brian! Drop him." Arin threatened, pulling out his cutlass.

“No, Arin.” Brian sighed, holding the siren near the plank; very close to tossing him back in.

"Dude, he's hurt! Why would you just toss him back in? What if that were you? You think I'd just toss your ass into the ocean?!" Arin stated, pointing his sword at Brian.

“He’s not human! He belongs down there!” Brian reasoned.

Arin looked unmoved, but then looked down for a moment. He did belong in the water...but-

Brian sighed, tossing Dan back in as a pair of red eyes watched in horror from the water below.

"The fuck, Brian?!" Arin cried, dropping his sword as it clattered on the deck.

“There, problem solved.” Brian said, walking away.

Arin stood horrified, then, in a split second, began darting toward the plank with no sign of remorse for his choice.

"ARIN!" Ross yelled.

“Don’t do it Arin.” Brian warned.

Arin ignored him as he dove straight into the ocean. He instantly spotted the drowning siren, still out cold as he looked paler than anyone should be. Arin grabbed for him, wrapping his arm around Dan's slender waist, as he began to swim upwards. Arin gasped for air, getting above the surface with the siren limply hanging in his arms. Arin turned, and began to swim, grunting from the incoming waves.

All the while, the red eyes watched him silently.

Soon enough, Arin got Dan and himself onto the ship as they both collapsed onto the deck. Dan laid weakly on his back while Barry came to Arin's side to help him stand. Ross had some real choice words for Arin's decision. "What the flying fuck is your problem, Arin?! You clod, you could have died TWICE today!"

The siren looked beyond pale as he appeared still with no breathing.

"Just...f-fucking..h-hel-." Arin breathed, before he felt himself dizzy and almost fell out of exhaustion. “Woah woah! Arin!” Barry gasped, holding him steady.

Ross looked down at the unconscious Dan on deck "...Is he dead?"

“Good riddance.” Brian sighed.

Arin looked ready to pass out, as he tried to angrily yell at Brian before he swayed weakly into Barry's arms. The siren then coughed up water as he blinked slowly. And tried to say...

“Help...me…”  

Dan then blacked out again, looking to be in no shape to swim away now.

Ross looked at Brian briefly "What do we do? Arin will blow a fucking gasket if he just stays here."

Barry frowned, then cleared his throat "Should we put him in the net? Till he's able to swim again?"

“He might start crying though.” Ross sighed.

“Whatever, stick him in a tub or tank with a little bit of water.” Brian conceded.

Barry nodded, as Arin weakly fell backwards "O-Okay, Arin. You need to lie down, man..."

Ross sighed "Alright, um...Brian, help me hoist him into the bathroom tub?"

Brian rolled his eyes before helping Ross lift the siren up, while Barry began to guide Arin to the captain's quarters. Arin's eyes didn't leave the siren until they began to close, and the world around him went dark.


	4. The Land Meets The Sea

Everything went blank for a long time until Arin felt someone placing a rag on his forehead. 

Barry sighed "You're really something, Arin. You couldn't be any more crazy, than...well anyone. The hell were you thinking, man?" 

Arin blinked weakly, his vision somewhat blurry “Where...where am I?” Arin replied, dazed by his fever. 

"In your cabin. And before you ask; yes, your siren buddy is fine..." Barry stated.

“Good...so...so tired…” Arin whispered. 

"You rest, man. You had one too many swims in the ocean for one day." Barry urged, before he got up and left the room, closing the door behind him. 

Arin blinked, vision swimming as he suddenly felt lonely. Something in his head wanted him to not be by himself. He couldn't figure out what, when suddenly his mind snapped back to the siren. 

The siren he had just saved. Who somehow knew his name.

How did he know his name? 

No one said it, from what Arin could remember.

And if they did, why would the siren only call him by Arin? And not Captain, or no name at all?

Maybe he heard them say his name before? When he fell overboard?

Arin tiredly sat up, his thoughts focusing only on the siren. He felt responsible for what happened for him, and something in his gut told him to go and check on him.Was it smart? Probably not, but Arin didn't care.  


He was injured, alone and afraid. And Captain Arin Raptor was no asshole to leave someone that way.

Arin took a heavy breath, as he slowly lifted himself from his bed; holding to the walls for support. He stumbled out of his room and found the bathroom three doors down. 

Dan was resting in a tub with a little bit of water filled to his waist. His massive blue tail stuck out over the top as he tiredly stared off into space; looking beyond exhausted.  


Upon seeing him, Arin gasped quietly as the noise made the siren jump in surprise. 

Arin looked embarrassed as he looked down "Um...sorry, I.. I-" 

Dan glared at him before hissing loudly in defense. 

Arin took a step back, before he almost lost his balance and grabbed the wall to support himself "Jesus Christ, I'm sorry!...fuck..." 

The siren stopped, wincing from his head wound. Arin then noticed a large bruise on the siren's forehead from his spill on the deck. 

"...Shit..." Arin muttered. 

The siren whimpered a bit, rubbing his bruise but it only made him groan. Dan bit his lip; he clearly was in pain. 

Arin sighed "...Are...are you...." 

The siren looked at Arin before blushing, flinching at the tenderness of the bruise.  


"Here, l-let me help..." Arin muttered nervously, taking a step forward towards the siren. 

Dan looked nervously at him, unsure and scared.

"Please..." Arin assured, coming a few steps closer until he was right next to him.

Dan seemed nervous at first, but he then calmed down and nodded. 

Arin wasn't sure exactly what to do, but then noticed a cloth on the counter. He gently reached for it, and wet it lightly "Okay, umm...this might sting..." 

The siren kept eyeing him, making sure he didn’t pull any fast moves. Arin took the cloth, and very slowly went close to Dan, and with a bit of precaution, started to lightly pat the bruised area on the siren's head. Dan winced at first but soon relaxed as the pain faded. 

They were only a few inches apart.

Arin let some of his nervousness go as he spoke up "I...I-I wanna say, that...I'm sorry...about, what my crew did. I-I take the blame for how...they were." 

The siren merely looked at him, not speaking to him. His expression was cryptic but he seemed to be listening to Arin's words intuitively. 

"I understand if...you're pissed off at me. Believe me...if I was caught in someone's net and...bashed up, I'd be pissed too." Arin continued. 

The siren nodded in return before flicking water onto Arin’s face. 

Arin took a second to take in being splashed, then nodded "Ah, yep. I'll take that as a yes..." 

The siren sighed, laying back a bit with a frown. Arin took a moment to look at the siren's tail as it lightly shifted in the water. He found himself mesmerized by it for a moment, admiring its colors "Fuck...um...y-you have a nice tail." 

The siren blushed as he giggled. 

Arin took a bit of surprise as he lightly laughed "Well, it's true. It's nice...for a siren. I guess? Sorry if that came off as offensive." The siren nodded as he flicked more water on Arin. "Damn, I just got dry. I've had enough water to last me a lifetime, thanks very much." Arin said sarcastically. 

Dan lightly smiled before he  looked away, laying down in the water with tired eyes. 

"You...want me to go?.." Arin asked, lifting the cloth from the siren's forehead. The siren shrugged his shoulders.  Arin nodded, and gently got up "Okay...I'll...let you sleep." 

Dan blinked at him before he closed his eyes, as Arin turned around. Unbeknownst to him, Dan watched him leave with lightly colored cheeks.

Arin left the room, unable to deny his need for sleep with a fever nagging at him. He walked back to his own quarters, and took a breath.'That went better than expected' Arin thought to himself. However he knew that the siren was unhappy to be there. And at some point he'd leave, hopefully fully healed.  


Arin flopped onto his bed, feeling exhaustion winning him over with a fever kicking his ass. After resisting for just a second, Arin then fell asleep, dreaming of the sea and a bounty of loot with his name on it. And the siren lightly swimming around in the ocean currents.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit short, but this is the start of a beautiful relationship <3  
> Song of choice for this chapter: Bedtime (The Little Mermaid: Score by Alan Menken) lol kinda fitting actually  
> https://youtu.be/-UQsECA7RZU


	5. Changing Currents

"Where's Suzy?!"

"Hold on there, no one goes in to see the Queen unannounced."

"B-But this is important! It's life and death here!"

_ "...Let her pass..." _

"Suzy, I have something to report!"

_ "What is it?" _

"I-It's about Dan!"

_ "......" _

_ "What did you see?..." _

~~~~~~~~~~~

Dan awoke to hear footsteps as he hissed loudly in defense.  The footsteps belonged to Ross, who had come to check on the siren. He frightfully jumped back and let out a frightened yelp. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" 

The siren instantly wished he hadn’t of hissed since all the noise made him groan in pain. He rubbed his injured head lightly.  


Ross nervously cowered "I..I-I-I just..c-c-came to ch-ch-check on you..." 

The siren nodded as he frowned; his stomach empty and giving him pings of dizziness. 

Ross shakingly took something from behind his back "I-I-I got some c-c-crab from y-y-yesterday...did..you w-w-want any?" 

The siren nodded, unable to deny that he needed something to eat. 

Ross nodded quickly, then, to avoid getting any closer, merely tossed the crab pieces into the tub. Dan picked up one, biting into it as Ross noticed his very sharp teeth. He instantly felt sick "O-O-Okay, ummm....I-I-I'll leave you to eat...uh...b-bye..." 

The siren waved in return before going back to eating the food. 

Ross took this moment to run frantically away. 

~~~~

After a while, Dan heard footsteps coming up the hallway again. He ignored them at first, finishing off the last piece of crab.

"Um...H-Hi there." A voice said softly from the door. 

The siren didn’t reply, not seeing the need for more people. 

Barry soon entered, looking slightly nervous but sported a smile, albeit an uncertain one. 

Dan rolled his eyes as Barry noticed the sharp teeth as Dan gulped down the last piece of crab. 

"Ah...wow...those are...REALLY sharp." Barry quietly commented. 

Dan nodded, laying down in the water with a sad look in his eyes. 

"Um...you okay?" Barry asked, not taking a step further but looking concerned. 

“No.” The siren whispered. 

Barry looked surprised, then nodded "Oh...I-I'm sorry...about that..." 

Dan lightly looked up at Barry “Go away.” The siren sighed sadly. 

Barry nodded again "Um...sure..." 

Dan laid there, feeling depression coming over him as he sighed again. He didn't want to see or talk to anyone anymore.  


Barry then left the room, looking back with sympathy before disappearing down the hall.

~~~~

"You shouldn't be here." A grave voice whispered.   


Dan awoke; his eyes focused on the figure in the doorway.

“You here to make me feel like shit?” The siren frowned.

"Just stating facts." The voice replied. 

“I shouldn’t be here…” The siren mumbled, letting the words sink in.

"If you think for one second, that I'm not into you, you're mistaken."  The voice said, to reveal Brian standing arms crossed at the door. 

“I don’t care.” Dan grumbled, already feeling miserable. 

"Care, don't care. Know this; I will not be afraid to kill you should you try to pull something. You've done enough." Brian said threateningly. 

“Wow...I’m soooooo scared.” Dan mocked. 

Brian gave him a death glare, before he walked off, closing the door behind him. 

Dan frowned as he laid down on his side in the water.  He just wanted it to all be over; he felt miserable and his negative thoughts were eating him alive. "Let it end...please..." Dan whispered to himself.  


The siren had no escape. No way of leaving. His sister would be worried sick, but it didn't matter to him now. He just wanted it to end. End everything, even himself. The lonely silence of the room was the only company he had now.

"...Hey..."

“Go away.” The siren sighed.

"That's fine...saying that to your rescuer." The voice replied with a hint of sarcasm.

“You should’ve let me die…” The siren whispered.

"Now what kinda person would I be if I did that?" The voice asked. 

“A smart one.” Dan said. 

Slowly he felt a presence come eerily close to him. The siren ignored this, just wanting to be alone. He huddled into a ball, with his back turned to the person talking. 

"I'm not usually the smart one. So, you'd be at a loss anyway." Arin replied.

“Whatever.” Dan mumbled. 

Arin sat beside the tub, facing Dan's back as he thought for a moment on what to say.  


"....You miss being out there in the ocean?" Arin asked. 

“I miss having purpose...now...I’m just a blank slate.” Dan sniffled. 

"I wouldn't say that." Arin replied. 

“Why? I’m better dead than alive.” The siren whimpered.

"Well...if you told me more about you, maybe I'd give you a good answer." Arin urged. 

Dan blinked as he very lightly uncurled from his defensive position.

“M-My...my name is Dan….” The siren sighed. 

"Okay, good. See, we're making progress." Arin said.

“I...lure men away...to kill them or eat them..." Dan continued.

Arin nodded, listening quietly to Dan's story.

"I’m sick of doing that...n-no one likes me for me...they just see beauty and a voice.” Dan frowned. "I just...I just want it to end...all of it.."   


A brief silence fell as the two took a moment to think, both of them with their own opinions on the topic. Arin was saddened and perplexed, while Dan felt all was lost and nothing could help. It wasn't until the sounds of Dan's tail moving in the water broke their thoughts.

"There. Now go away so I can die.” Dan grumbled. 

Arin frowned, as he said lightly,

"Not until I can see you. Not too keen on talking to a backside."   


Dan sighed, facing the Captain as he frowned with tears already forming in his eyes. Arin looked at him sadly "Aw....don't cry, man..." 

Dan was unable to remain cold anymore as he hiccuped and began to cry. 

Arin sighed and very gently put a hand on Dan's shoulder "Hey...it's okay...it's alright..." 

“N-No...i-it’s...not.” Dan sniffled. 

"Dude...you'll be okay..." Arin replied. 

Dan looked at him with sad tear filled eyes.

“I-I just...I’ve lived for s-s-s-so long...a-and….I-I just.....do nothing but kill and...and I just have nowhere or no one…” Dan cried. 

Arin wasn't sure what to say, as he sighed "...Well....y-you...can hang with us?" 

“Why b-b-bother? Everyone h-hates me.” Dan hiccuped. 

"Then...we'll make them think different...." Arin suggested. 

“H-How? That one g-g-guy h-h-he...he said h-he’d kill me.” Dan sniffled.

"Who, Brian? Dude's an asshat about everything...Ross and Barry don't hate you." Arin said.

“O-One of ‘em r-r-ran away…” Dan recalled.

"Ross, huh? Yeah, he's a pansy. Look, Dan...I'm sorry, about how you’re feeling. But...I wanna...I wanna help you." Arin sighed.

“Why? S-So...so you can u-use me f-for something?” Dan frowned. 

Arin shook his head and said honestly "No...because...I...I don't want to see you...sad."

“Wh-Why would you c-care?” Dan whispered.

Arin looks down for a moment, before meeting Dan's blue and green eyes "Because...I do." 

Dan blinked for a moment, trying to wipe away his tears. He and Arin locked eyes; the world at a standstill.   


“O-Ok…”

Arin grinned happily "Awesome." 

Dan shrugged his shoulders, not very excited but feeling a little bit better thanks to Arin. 


	6. New Friends

"You feel alright?" Arin asked, leaning against the tub next to Dan. They had spent a few solid quiet moments taking in the silence and Arin was hopeful his efforts to help Dan wouldn't end badly.  


“I guess….” Dan mumbled. 

Arin nodded "It'll work out, man.  Don't be blue....like your tail."   


Arin then gestured to the blue tail in the water. Dan didn't look the least bit amused.

“Not funny.” Dan frowned. 

Arin giggled "Sorry, I know it was lame." 

“Very lame.” Dan corrected.

Arin giggled again as his cheeks grew pink. Dan blushed as well as he laughed behind his cupped mouth. The two began to chuckle at the stupid joke; Dan began to forget his troubles, as Arin began to hysterically laugh and he followed.   


After their laughter died down, Arin then heard Ross calling from around the corner, making him turn back to Dan "Umm...I guess it's dinner. You want anything?" 

“Don’t bother…” Dan blushed before his stomach growled. 

Arin snickered, as Dan crossed his arms "Oh yeah sure..." 

“M-Maybe...j-just a bit of something.” Dan whispered.

"On it." Arin said, getting up and walking out of the room. 

Arin made it way into the kitchen, seeing Ross chewing on cooked crab. "What's up?" Arin asked. "Nothin'." Ross said in between chews. 

“I’m glad we got plenty of this.” Barry grinned, biting into some shrimp. 

"Nice. You got me a plate? And like, an extra one?" Arin asked.

“Sure...but why an extra one?” Barry asked, handing Arin a plate. "Just giving it to Dan." Arin said simply. 

“You sure? I mean...he’s kinda…” Ross shivered, recalling how sharp his teeth were. 

"What? Dude's gotta eat, Ross." Arin retorted as he placed a handful of shrimp on the plate.

“I don’t know, he’s kinda….creepy.” Ross frowned. 

"You thought that cuttlefish we caught once was creepy." Arin said.

“Well it was…” Ross pouted.

"Well, creepy or not, I'm gonna give him some. He deserves as much." Arin replied, taking both plates in his hands.

“Brian’s gonna be mad…” Ross whispered. 

"Do I look like I give a frog's fat ass about what Brian says?" Arin heaved. 

“Maybe…” Ross shrugged. 

Barry frowned "He's not gonna like it, Arin..." 

Arin rolled his eyes "Well tough shit, Brian can bitch and moan like-" Brian then entered the room, glaring at all of them. 

The room fell silent as Arin looked around inconspicuously. Brian ignored them as he grabbed a cooked crab, removed his bandana from over his mouth, and chewed on it. Arin simply took his plates and began to walk off, not meeting Brian's eyes. Brian glared at the Captain as he rolled his eyes “Moron…” Arin paused: 

"Putz." 

Arin then walked back into the bathroom as Dan perked up at the smell of food. 

"I see someone likes shrimp." Arin smirked. 

“M-Maybe…” Dan blushed. 

"Hey no shame man, they're fucking delicious." Arin replied. 

Dan nodded as Arin handed him one. The siren instantly began to chew on it as Arin noticed his insanely sharp teeth. Arin said nothing, as he himself began to eat. 

After some chews he started to converse "So...we gotta get the guys to let you stay with us."

“I’m scary, they don’t like me.” Dan mumbled, mouth full. 

"Aw nay man, you're not scary. You're more like...unsettlingly adorable." Arin shrugged.

“Hardly.” Dan replied, swallowing the food in his mouth.

"Okay well, if I wanted to make friends with these guys, I'd just...you know, talk. And not be like, distant or angry." Arin took a huge chunk of crab and shoved it in his mouth. 

“That’s hard, I’m used to being cold.” Dan said, chewing on more shrimp with his sharp teeth.

"I mean, I can help. It's not like I'm gonna just toss you into the pit with no assistance." Arin replied. 

“Perhaps.” Dan muttered, swallowing another shrimp. 

Arin tapped his chin "I think we could try getting the three of them, or hell maybe just Ross and Barry, and just having them hang out and just chill." Arin suggested.

“Fine.” Dan shrugged, swallowing another shrimp whole.

"Good. Because, ROSS! BARRY! COME ON OVER HERE, WOULD YOU?!" Arin called out. 

Dan blushed, unsure of what he was even doing. 

Ross and Barry came peeking from the doorway "Um...yeah?" Ross said meekly. 

"I was hoping you two would be cordial enough to join me and Daniel here to eat." Arin said with sophistication. 

“Uhhhhhh…” Ross shivered, seeing Dan’s teeth. Barry tensed "Umm...w-we don't know if...he'd want us to.." 

“I-It’s fine…” Dan sighed. 

"There, see? Pull up a chair. Or I guess...spot on the floor." Arin said as Ross and Barry walked nervously over to Arin. Barry sat down, nervously eating his food as Ross huddled behind him. Arin shrugged "See? Not so bad, right?" 

“M-Maybe…” Ross shivered.

The three guys and siren sat in an awkward and uneasy silence. The captain could even see Ross shaking in panic as Barry merely picked at his shrimp.

Arin knew he needed to cut the tension in the air "Well...h-how's everybody doing?"

"G-Good so far..." Barry mumbled.

“F-Fine…” Ross squeaked.

Arin looked over at Dan and lightly gestured to him. "Talk..." Arin mouthed.

“Um...m-my teeth a-aren’t gonna hurt you.” Dan blushed. 

"You sure?...they, umm...look a little...pointy." Barry stated. 

“I’m nowhere near you.” Dan pointed out. 

Barry then noticed he was at least 5 feet away from Dan as he giggled awkwardly "Oh yeah...right..." 

Dan nodded as Ross kept shivering from the sight of his teeth. 

"Ross, come on man. It's not that scary." Arin sighed. 

Ross shook his head, unable to shake visions of Dan biting into him with those scary looking jaws. 

"Look, you've seen scarier, right? Like the cuttlefish for example." Arin pointed out, as Barry giggled quietly. 

"It's true." Barry smiled. 

“No..t-t-this is scarier.” Ross whimpered as Dan frowned.

"Aw come on, Ross. Isn't there some way to make you think Dan is a little less scary?" Arin asked. 

Ross shrugged his shoulders as Dan’s tail flopped around a bit since he was bored and sad. Arin started to feel like this was a bust, until he noticed Ross eying Dan's tail as it splashed out of the water for a moment. Dan didn’t mind the eyes on him but he just kept moving his tail around a bit.

"That's...a...n-nice tail..." Ross muttered. 

“Oh...d-do you like it?” Dan blinked. 

"Umm...yeah..." Ross blushed.

“T-Thank you…” Dan smiled softly as his tail moved around a touch. Ross nodded as he lightly continued to watch the brilliant blue tail moving in the tub.  


Dan noticed Ross’ gaze “D-Do you wanna touch it?” 

Ross looked surprised as he ruffled his hair "Umm..d-don't you mind...if someone touches it?..."

“No, it’s ok.” Dan shrugged, deciding to be nice since no one had touched his tail before. 

Ross looked nervously at Barry, who silently motioned him to go on. With some caution, Ross crawled toward Dan and with one finger, touched the tail with his eyes shut. To his surprise, it felt cool and scaly to the touch. Dan giggled at the touch “T-That tickles.” Ross gasped, as he giggled gently "Whoa..." 

Dan kept giggling, blushing a touch as Arin smiled. “See Ross, he’s not scary.” Arin reasoned. 

"Yeah..." Ross whispered. 

“Um...t-thanks...f-for...for not thinking I’m scary.” Dan blushed deeply. Ross leaned back, removing his hand "No problem...sorry I called you scary."

“It’s ok…” Dan smiled softly. Ross smiled back, as Barry intervened "Can I try?" 

“G-Go ahead.” Dan urged. Barry nodded, and gently put his hand on the tail. He grinned "Dude, this is awesome!"

“T-Thanks..” Dan giggled, not used to having attention like this.

"Arin, have you felt this? Its fucking cool!" Barry said excitingly. 

Dan blushed deeply, not used to having this much attention. Normally he got attention with him luring in people.

Arin grinned "Well this is turning out way better than I thought." 

“Y-Yeah…” Dan smiled. 

"Too bad Brian's being an ass, he's missing out." Ross sighed. 

“Y-Yeah...h-he kinda wanted to kill me e-earlier.” Dan frowned.

"He's always that way. Dude was an assassin before he joined us." Barry said, still stroking Dan's tail.

“So...h-he’s not very open?” Dan guessed.

"Nope. We barely know anything about what he was like before he came along; he usually keeps to himself about that." Ross explained.

“B-Brian doesn’t let his guard down?” Dan replied. 

"The guy sleeps with his eyes open. That is how 'on his guard' he is." Arin grumbled.

“Well...What if I could change that?” Dan grinned, getting an idea. 

Arin raised an eyebrow "And how do you propose you're gonna do that?" 

“There’s no man that I can’t lure.” Dan sighed. 

Very curious as to what Dan had planned, Arin smirked "S-Should I be covering my ears for this one?" 

“Well...you all should leave the room and watch.” Dan suggested. 

Arin nodded, and grabbed Ross "Alrighty boys, let's let the pro do his work."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This should be good...


	7. Calming the Asassin

"Is this a good idea?"

"Yes now shut up and watch!"

Arin shushed from under the table, putting his index finger to his lips. The three crew members had hid under a table in the ship's hallway; watching Dan as he gestured for them to cover their ears. Arin nodded, signaling Ross and Barry as they did as told.  


"This will either go really good...or really bad." Ross whispered.

"Let's just see what happens..." Barry replied quietly.

"Is Brian even gonna-"

Arin shushed them again, pointing down the hall as Brian made his way near the cabins. Despite his eyes scanning the hall with intensity, Brian had a sense of exhaustion coming off of him. He was tired and needed a nap badly; this was the only time he had his guard down.

The three leaned back against the wall, out of sight. Arin glanced at Dan, signalling the siren to start.

Once Dan saw the three were ready, he  then began to sing a lovely and alluring tune. It was low and haunting, but there was a hint of mischief hidden within it.  

Dan's song entered Brian's unsuspecting ears as the assassin blinked, trying to ignore the singing with all his might. 

While they watched, Arin grinned mischievously while Barry resisted the urge to laugh out loud. 

Brian shook his head, trying to ignore the singing but his mind was unprepared for this. 

The song began to mystify him, as its gentle harmonies echoed in his ears. He bit his lip, trying to ignore it but he was no match for the song in such a tired state. At last, the great Assassin Brian gave in, and he soon followed the sound of Dan's enchanting song. 

The three watched in shock as Brian slowly headed for the song’s origin. 

"Holy shit it worked!" Ross whispered.

Brian made his way to the bathroom, swaying back and forth as he shuffled. Until at last he stood at the foot of the door, looking enchanted as he leaned tiredly against the doorframe.  Dan grinned, Brian was now completely under his spell.  


The three watched to see what would happen next; all their eyes glued to Dan.  


“See? You made ittttt.” Dan smiled, urging Brian to come closer with a beckoning finger. 

Brian unknowingly walked closer, looking to be in a deep daze. 

“You’re here now, it’s okkkkk.” Dan soothed. 

Ross and Barry giggled at the sight, while Arin blinked at Dan's seductive nature. 

Brian then came inches to Dan, and looked at him with glassy eyes. 

“You’re amazing, you made it all the way hereeee.” Dan said. 

Brian nodded slowly, as he bent down to Dan's level.

Dan moved his hand to support Brian's head as he blinked his blue and green eyes at him. Time to make some secrets come out.

"Briiiiian....what's on your mind?" Dan smiled.

Brian somehow looked sad as he leaned back a bit.

This made Dan support his head a bit stronger. He raised an unsure eyebrow.

“What is ittttt?”  Dan soothed.

"I....I..." Brian mumbled. 

“Go on, it’s ok. You can tell meeeee...” Dan urged. 

Brian said lazingly "L-Love..." 

“Love?” Dan blinked. 

"No love...for me.." Brian said dully. 

Dan paused "W-Why would you think that?"

"I did it....it was....me..." Brian mumbled.

"What...-" Dan began.

"No one....no love....for me...." Brian muttered.

Dan bit his lip then began  "Brian....of course people love you. Your friends do...” Dan soothed, stroking his hair. 

"I'm..... a monster..." Brian whispered. 

“No...no you’re not.” Dan frowned, feeling the urge to encourage him.

"Lonely..." Brian said; his head hanging low. 

“Shhh...it’s ok. I’m here.” Dan whispered, stroking his hair. 

The siren sighed lightly. He wanted to tease Brian at first, but now he knew he had to comfort him. This was more than just a simple joke now.  


Brian raised his head slightly "No one....to love..." 

“Come here...it’s ok.” Dan urged. 

Dan gently took a hold of Brian, and hugged him. 

Dan gently stroked Brian’s back “Shhhh...it’s alright.” 

While Arin looked a bit surprised by the display,  he motioned his hands off his ears. Ross and Barry did the same thing as they looked concerned at the captain. Arin then rose from their hiding spot as he came over to Dan and the hypnotized Brian.  


The three marveled at the sight.

“Um...that’s different.” Ross commented. 

"Dang Dan, you're good..." Barry complimented gently. 

“Man...Brian’s gonna be mad when he snaps out of it.” Ross giggled.

“He’s in a deep trance. He needs to sleep now.” Dan replied, sounding a little sad. 

"What did he say?" Arin asked.

Dan frowned a bit as he sighed.  “He feels...lonely. He thinks he’s a monster and says...n-no one loves him.”

The three took surprise, as they too looked saddened. "Whoa...poor Brian." Barry stated. 

"I take back calling him a cunt..." Ross said sadly. 

"He didn't say why?" Arin wondered.

Dan shook his head "But he did say one thing that stuck out." 

"What?" Ross asked.

Dan looked up at the crew, 

"I did it, it was me."

The three then exchanged serious looks to each other; making the siren furrow his brows. "I-Is there something I should know?"

Arin sighed "H-He...umm...let's just say, shit kinda happened before you met us..."

"Some really heavy shit..." Barry mumbled.

Dan nodded, knowing it'd be best to drop the subject now before it worsened.

Ross blinked at Brian's slumped position "You sure he's not dead or something?"

“No. It's ok, I’ll make it seem like this was a dream.” Dan explained. 

"Whoa, you can do that?" Arin wondered, suddenly a ping in the back of his brain hit. 

Dan nodded.  “Hey...hey Brian...you’re very tired ya know?” Dan soothed, stroking his hair. Brian nodded gently in reply.

“Shhhhh...you’re dreaming. Go to sleep now.” Dan whispered. 

"Won't he just sleep here-" Ross mumbled before  Brian stood up, and turned around, walking back out of the room while the boys looked in awe. Arin followed him, seeing Brian go to his room and flop onto his bed. With that, Brian was out and snoring as he slept soundly. Arin ran back to the bathroom, looking very excited from the display "Holy shit! You're...you're amazing! I-I can't believe you can do that!" 

“W-Well...it’s kinda my thing.” Dan blushed.

"That was pretty impressive, dude." Barry grinned.

“T-Thanks.” Dan giggled. 

Ross peeked out from the room "You think he might remember this?" 

“He might see it as a very hazy dream at best.” Dan replied. 

"Man, that's really fucking cool..." Ross mumbled.

Arin then found his moment "Damn, Dan here is just so awesome. It'd be a real shame that he'd have to go, huh guys?"

Barry and Ross then glanced at him with big eyes.

"Like, too bad he can't hang with us. Dan feels so sad and unsure about everything, and with us, he could maybe be happy..." Arin went on, laying thick the guilt.  


Barry and Ross exchanged looks.

"He could even lose that fear of sharks..." Arin said.

"What? I don't-" Dan began before Arin lightly cupped his mouth.

"But alas, he has to return to the lonely...unfeeling...and terrifying ocean." Arin batted his eyes as he released his hand from Dan's mouth and wrapped his arms around Ross and Barry. "What a shame...."  


“B-But...he doesn’t have to go.” Ross whimpered, already emotional. 

"Yeah, I mean... if he wants, he can stay. I'm all for it." Barry stated.

Arin grinned, then glanced over at Dan "What say you, Dan?"

“I-I’d like that…” Dan confessed, smiling softly.  


"Well then, welcome to the crew, Dan!" Arin beamed brightly.


	8. The Ghost

A good couple of days had passed, and the crew was coming around and growing attached to Dan. 

They weren't so afraid of the siren anymore; talking to him casually about things and even conversing like they were all lifelong friends. 

Even Brian wasn't as standoffish as before, though one could say he was still a bit tense around Danny for obvious reasons.

Dan hadn't felt so good about anything in years, and his newfound family were making him feel more comfortable in his skin than ever before. Arin couldn't be happier for him.

After a while, Dan wanted to be able to leave the tub, but the trouble arose to how that could work. Until Ross got the idea to use a wagon he had stored in the ship's cargo. Though Dan himself seemed a bit embarrassed to be pulled around in a wagon at first, for the time being he didn't have much to complain about.  


It was a long night watch and Ross was hanging out on the deck with Dan resting in the wagon. 

"Look at that moon." Ross commented, looking straight up at the ebony sky. 

Dan rubbed his eyes tiredly “Mhm.” 

"Man...I wonder if people would ever get on the moon?" Ross asked.

“Uh huh…” Dan replied dully, nodding off. 

"I just think, you know, if they planned it, and with years of work and research and....Dan?" Ross asked, noticing the siren sleeping peacefully. 

Dan’s breathing was soft and slow, hand on his stomach as he slept. Ross smirked "Alright man, lets go." 

Ross slowly began to drag the wagon to the bathroom since Dan kinda slept in the bathtub now. Once they reached to, Ross carefully lifted his heavy siren friend out of the water and gently put him down in the filled tub. Dan was still sleeping soundly, some hair falling in his face. Ross giggled a little as he moved the stray hair from Dan's face "Sleepy little bro..."  


Ross paused at his own words.

...Bro?

Ross suddenly felt himself get a bit nervous, as he cleared his throat.  


He never really had a brother before.

Only a sister but it wasn't exactly the same.

Ross slowly left the room, leaving the door open slightly as he headed back to the deck. "Brother....whoa...." Ross mumbled to himself as he went on to his night watch.  


Meanwhile, Arin tossed and turned in his sleep while mumbling. He seemed to be having some sort of dream, as he started to grip the sheets of his bed."No...come...come on..."  


Suddenly, a pair of eyes were on him as something touched his head. 

_"....Wakey wakey..."_ A voice said lowly, as Arin tensed to the touch.

“Wha...can’t...find..” Arin mumbled, still sleeping. 

_"..Aaaarin...."_ The voice whispered. 

Arin’s eyes slowly opened “Who….” 

_"Who do you think?..."_ The voice asked, backing up.

“Ughhh....Go away.” Arin whined, covering his face in his pillow.

_"Oh I'll go, once you wake up and talk to me."_ The voice urged, sounding a bit annoyed. 

"Talk is...cheap..." Arin mumbled.

_ "Arin."   _ The voice stated seriously. Clearly he wasn't in the mood for Arin's excuses. 

Arin sat up, rubbing his eyes “Fine...what?” 

_"Mind telling me, since you know, we're friends, what's been up with you guys?"_ The voice wondered.

“What do you mean, like me having nightmares or Brian sucking at driving the ship?” Arin grumbled. _"Either....but maybe the nightmares thing."_ The voice replied. 

Slowly, a mist filled the room, as a figure took shape in front of Arin. Faded in color, the form of a man looked back at the captain. His ghostly white hands crossed on his chest. His original captain's coat moved weightlessly on him, as down his body his shape stopped at his knees, making him float above the floor.

“Hi Mark…” Arin sighed.

Mark had a concerned look on his face, but none the less, gave a weary but warm smile to his friend.  


"Howdy Arin."

“You can’t be curious about my stupid nightmares, dude.” Arin frowned. 

"Why not? I have every right to ask." Mark replied, his hair bouncing off his glassy eyes. 

“It’s just nonsense, no reason to worry.” Arin lied. 

Mark could see through his act as he sighed "You say that, yet even when I was captain here, I knew you had problems sleeping. In fact..." Mark went over to Arin's side as he sat on the chair across from the bed "Wouldn't you wake me to talk on the nights you couldn't sleep?"  


Arin blushed, as he lightly nodded.  “It-It’s stupid though..."

"No dream or nightmare is stupid, Arin. They just need a little explaining sometimes." Mark shrugged.

" I’m...reaching for like...this voice...and I almost get there but the crew holds me back…” Arin explained. 

"Hmmm...peculiar..." Mark tapped his chin in thought. "Anything else you know from the dream?"  


Arin shook his head  “Like I said, it’s pretty dumb.” Arin sighed. 

"Not dumb. It's curious." Mark replied. 

Arin shrugged "Yeah well, curious isn't what I needed. Besides,   I can handle it myself..."

Mark frowned a bit   "I have no trouble believing that. But do take heed, Arin."

"Why, what's so important?" Arin asked.

"Arin, y ou are only one man. And this crew needs a good one." Mark stated.  


“Oh well, thanks for more stress.” Arin replied sarcastically. 

Mark rolled his eyes "Arin Raptor. Always the ironical one. Even after all these years."  


"Hey, don't judge, man. Besides, why change how I am?" Arin replied.

"Maybe not change. What about improve?" Mark stated, making Arin pause in thought.

Mark then turned to the direction of Arin's door "So...I see a new member has joined the ranks." 

"Hmm? Oh...yeah. H-His name is Dan." Arin mumbled.

Mark blinked "And he's a..."

"Siren." Arin and Mark ended in unison.

"Wow...quite the variety on board now. Not like the original crew wasn't already a strange group." Mark joked.

Arin laughed lightly in reply "Yeah...but hey,  he was kinda depressed...and I couldn’t turn him away. Even if he’s not human.” Arin replied. 

Mark nodded "A good captain uses his conscience to find the good. I'm glad you got that down, Arin." 

“Thanks…” Arin smiled slightly; glad to know his old friend still had confidence in him as a captain. 

Mark sighed "Well, I shouldn't keep you from your slumber. I'll be off." 

“Alright…” Arin mumbled, laying back down. 

"Keep in touch, Arin. We hardly talk now." Mark pointed out.

"I know I know. But if the others knew you were here...I honestly think that'd shit themselves in shock." Arin sighed.

Mark nodded, looking down at his see-through body. Arin blinked at him sadly. 

"Mark, I-"

"Night, my friend..." Mark whispered, as he vanished into the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so enters the deceased captain of the D-Cruiser, Mark Edward aka MARKIPLIER! And yeah folks, he's a recurring character :D


	9. Tagging Along

“So...this is Shakespeare?” Dan questioned as he flipped through a few pages of Barry’s book.The group was settled on the deck of the ship with the sun shining. They had stopped at a nearby town for now since they needed a break. 

“Yeah. He was a playwright.” Barry replied.

“A play-what?” Ross raised an eyebrow as he leaned against Barry’s back. 

Barry sighed “A playwright. He wrote plays and stuff like that.” 

“Ooohh…” Ross nodded, getting the picture now. 

“So, you read from the book and act it out?” Dan guessed. Barry smiled a bit and nodded “Yeah, that’s what being an actor is like.”

“Barry used to be one. So he should know.” Ross pointed out. 

Dan blinked and looked up at Barry “Really?”

“Yeah.” Barry grinned as his cheeks grew pink. 

“You don’t do it anymore?” Dan questioned. 

Barry shrugged “Eh, from time to time. But it’s just a fun hobby now.” 

Ross lightly snatched the book and glanced through it “This is...kinda hard to read…” 

“It’s written in old English, that’s why.” Barry replied.

“Guys, me and Brian need to restock.” Arin announced as he came over to the group. Ross sighed “Do we have to?” 

“Unless you’d rather live off on bread and water for a few months, then yes.” Arin said plainly. 

“Fine, I’ll go. You coming, Ross?” Barry asked.

Ross shook his head as he laid back against the wagon “Nay, I’ll just stay here with Dan. Do some stuff while you’re gone.” 

"Like...?" Barry wondered.

Ross shrugged nonchalantly "Just watch the ocean. Fish for sunken stuff. Maybe."

"Doesn't that sound interesting." Brian grumbled, as Ross furrowed his brow at him.

Arin then began to get everything ready as he, Barry, and Brian went off into the town. 

While Ross watched, he waited for the right moment to strike. ‘A little more...and...there! Outta sight.’ Ross grinned mischievously while thinking to himself. He then pulled out an old tattered paper from his pocket and read it carefully. 

Dan frowned and peeked over “Um...what are you doing exactly?” 

“Dan, I have a proposition for you.” Ross replied with a smug grin. 

“Uh...what is it?” Dan asked.

“Well...I’m gonna need some help with something, and I was hoping you could tag along.” Ross replied. 

Dan looked at the paper with unsure eyes “W-What?”

Ross then showed Dan the map engraved in the paper “This, my friend...is the map to a treasure. A very special treasure I’ve been wanting to go after for a long time.” 

Dan blinked and peeked closer. It was old and torn, yet very vivid drawings of a castle and a trail were highlighted on the page. Dan leaned in and read out the heading text “The Great Treasure of Graeme…” 

“See, I used to hear myths about this treasure as a kid. And I never figured out how to get it. Until I found this bad boy at a merchant’s shop. And look, we're docked in the same area the map says! Dan, this could be my chance to find it! To go after that one treasure I always dreamed of finding!” Ross smiled with excitement. 

Dan frowned “W-What about the other guys?” 

Ross waved it off “They wouldn’t understand. They don’t get how badly I’ve wanted to find this.”

Dan smirked “Ross, if you wanted to find this thing, why not just go after it yourself?” 

“Which brings me to the 'something' I was talking about.” Ross grinned, lightly pulling Dan towards the deck, and pointing to the lifeboat on the ship’s side. Dan immediately shook his head “Oh no...no no no no Ross. I’m not gonna go off on some crazy trip-”

“Come on Dan, please! This is my only chance! The guys-they wouldn't want to be apart of this. And besides, I wanted to find this with someone and you’re the only one!” Ross pleaded. 

Dan frowned “Ross, don’t you know how much of a stupid idea this is? What are they gonna think when we go?” 

Ross sighed “Dan, please. It’s a quick boat ride from here. I...really want to do this...if I don’t take the chance now, I might never get it again.” 

Dan paused, and looked at the boat with uncertainty. Then back to Ross’s sad face. Dan sighed “....I...I don’t know, man…” 

Ross blinked, nodding as he rolled up the map “I get it. I’m sorry I asked….”

“Ross…I-I just…” Danny began before Ross shook his head “No no, it’s fine. It’s...it’s just a silly dream. I’ll...go and make us something to eat.” 

Ross excused himself as he walked down the stairs sadly. Dan watched him and instantly felt guilty. 

“Ross.” Dan swallowed. 

Ross stopped and looked over his shoulder curiously. Dan rubbed his arm nervously as he sighed “H-how far is this treasure?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So begins Dan's first pirating adventure with Ross! this can only lead to good things! *sarcastic*


	10. Roadblock

“Only a little while from now…” Ross grunted as he rowed with some force.The two had successfully gotten the small dingy out to sea, while the sky around them began to turn orange and pink from the setting sun.

Dan looked around lightly as he read the map “This seems a bit weird.”

“I’m sure we’re going the right way, we’ve only been out for an hour or so.” Ross shrugged.

Dan nodded as Ross began to row near a large group of rocks, pressing on towards the massive caverns ahead.

"We're gonna make it back before the guys do." Ross assured, as Dan blinked at him with uncertainty.

"This is kinda far from the ship." Dan pointed out.

"Nay, we're going fine. Dan, I'm the master of directions." Ross boasted.

Dan rolled his eyes as he glanced back at the map. However as he stared at it, around him the air began to thicken, and a thick bed of fog began to grow.

Dan squinted his eyes and looked up “Yeah, we needed the goddamn fog.”

Ross looked around as he nodded “Weird…”

The two continued, as Ross began to row until they suddenly hit land, making them shake from the impact.

“Oh. Well...I guess we’re here then.” Ross breathed, as he and Dan looked around.

Dan shivered from the cold and sighed “Okay...let’s get this treasure and go.”

Once the two were out of the boat, they looked up at the marvel they docked on. A huge cave with ruins of old castle parts. Stalactite hung menacingly up in the air, as Ross and Danny looked in awe.

“Oh my god…” Ross mumbled.

"Yeah..." Dan agreed.

Ross then lifted Dan onto his back as the siren looked carefully at the map.

"Ready to go?" Ross questioned.

"As I'll ever be..." Dan whispered.

The two began to walk slowly into the ruins as Dan shivered again, this time in nervousness.

“Dude, this is the coolest…” Ross grinned.

“I wouldn’t say that…” Dan whispered.

“Why not?” Ross asked.

“It’s scary in here.” Dan trembled.

“Pfff, scary? It’s just an old ruined castle. Nothing too scary here.” Ross shrugged confidently.

Dan looked unconvinced as they continued on, while Dan read the map.

“This map is written funny in a few places.” Dan pointed out.

“What? Let me see.” Ross said, as Dan handed him the map. Ross blinked as he furrowed his eyes at the map. There was strange dots on the paper that didn’t seem to make any sense written on the lining of the paper “Wha-...what the heck?”

“Isn’t that Braille or something?” Dan questioned.

Ross blinked unknowingly “What’s that?”

Dan sighed loudly “Really Ross? Come on.”

“Dude! I never learned it! Excuse me!” Ross frowned.

Dan rolled his eyes “Well don’t get pissed, I was just saying, Ross. it's fine, not everyone knows it.”

Ross frowned. He SHOULD know it. Braille was one of the most common languages to learn as a child in school. But...

Ross sighed "Dan, not to sound like an idiot, but I didn’t exactly…”

“Go to school?” Dan raised an eyebrow.

“...Yes.” Ross replied.

Dan blinked “Well...why not?”

Ross chuckled a little as he sighed “Um...I...didn’t like it too much. And I kinda skipped it every chance I got.”

“Not the learning type?” Dan smirked.

“Oh ha ha. No, I...I don’t know, I just...had my eyes on other things. School was kind of a bother.” Ross shrugged.

Dan nodded as he looked back at the map “So, I assume you went into being a pirate or something after that?”

Ross grinned “No, actually.”

Dan blinked “W-What did you do then?”

Ross was about to give his answer before the two suddenly felt the ground shake under them.The stalactite above began to wiggle as Ross and Dan nervously stiffened.

Ross took a careful step back, but with one foot behind him, he suddenly fell backwards into a deep hole. With a cry, Dan and Ross both plummeting down into a dark cavern, meeting a pool of water at the bottom.

A few moments passed before Ross came up for air, spitting out water and coughing. Dan surfaced and gasped in shock as he moved Ross onto a dry patch of earth.

“God...d-didn’t see that coming….” Ross coughed, leaning back on the dirt.

Dan looked around the cavern they fell into “I...I don’t see where…”

Ross suddenly realized something “Oh my god...where’s the map?!”

Dan turned around and saw the wet map floating above the water. Lightly grabbing for it, it nearly fell apart in his hand.

"Umm..." Dan said, as Ross carefully took the map and frowned “I...I can’t fucking read it now…”

Ross then tossed it aside as he buried his face in his hands. Dan sighed “Well...w-we can try to dry it off-”

“Dan, it won’t work! I...This is fucking ridiculous.” Ross whispered.

“Hey...it’s alright.” Dan said lightly, patting Ross’s arm.

“No, it’s not...this is my fault. I lead us here. I trapped us in this place. I ruined the map.” Ross said, his voice cracking.

“Ross, come on.” Dan frowned.

“No Dan, I screw everything up! I always have! With everything I touch. That’s why I’m not good in anything. I’ll always be the [street rat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doWMik4vIlQ) I was. Worthless, cowardly, a troublemaker…” Ross replied, rubbing his eyes from the incoming tears.

Dan blinked as he climbed out of the pool to sit next to Ross on the shore. Ross’s head hung low as Dan lightly patted Ross’s back.

“I don’t think that.” Dan mumbled.

Ross sniffled “W-Why not?”

“Because...I know you screw up Ross. But you never mean it. Or you just make quick decisions without thinking.” Dan replied.

“This...isn’t exactly helping.” Ross stated.

“What I mean is, it’s who you are. But I know you don’t mean for things to go wrong. You want to find the right way to do things. And yeah, sometimes they don’t work. But you’re not intending them to be, Ross. You’re a good person.” Dan sighed.

Ross sniffled again, rubbing his eyes “I just...I wanna do something right for once.”

“Then...how about finding this treasure and getting us back to the ship in once piece?” Dan said, smiling.

Ross looked at him and lightly smiled back, pulling Dan in for a hug. Dan blushed in surprise, before lightly returning the hug.

“Alright...let’s find a way out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some character building going on here! Ross has had a bit of a rough life, poor guy. Riffraff, street rat...but he doesn't buy that. Also in this universe, Braille is a common language to teach in school. Now think of how neat that'd be in our modern schools if they taught that :3


	11. The Treasure of Graeme

Dan crawled up from the dry spot in the cavern to survey his surroundings. The hole he and Ross fell into was deep, and they clearly couldn't climb back up from where they were. They had to find a way out, and soon. Dan scanned the walls until he noticed a crack in the rock wall behind him and Ross.

“I think I found a way out.”Dan called.

Ross turned and got up, lightly placing his hands on the wall. A large rock was blocking the light from coming through, but with some force, could be moved aside ever so slightly. “Okay...this looks tricky...but we can try and crawl through.” Ross breathed, as Dan crawled over to Ross’s side.“This could take some willpower.” Ross grunted, pushing the rock but didn’t seem to get it moved more than an inch.

Dan bit his lip as he tried to pull at the rock.

With both their combined strength, Dan and Ross were able to move the rock blocking their path just enough to squeeze through.

“Heh...that wasn’t...so-so bad..” Ross heaved, as Dan rolled his eyes.

"After you." Dan stated, as Ross laughed lightly in his response.

Ross then began to shimmy his way through, careful not to get stuck as he extended a hand to Dan. Dan looked at the crack with hesitation.

“Dan?” Ross breathed.

Dan began to tremble as he glanced up at Ross. “It...it looks really…”

Ross frowned lightly “Hey, Dan...it’s alright. I’m right here, bro.”

Dan blushed instantly. Bro?

"Look see, its easy." Ross assured from the other side of the wall, lightly waving at the scared siren. He then extended his hand again, smiling at the siren lightly.

 Dan nodded slowly and took Ross’s hand. Ross then gently pulled Dan up through the crack, and lifted him up onto his back on the other side of the rock wall.

"You alright?" Ross asked.

"Y-Yeah...I'm alright." Dan replied.

“Okay, do we remember anything from the map before it got fucked up?” Ross asked.

“There was...something like a cave over a bridge?” Dan tried to remember.

“...Bridge? In here?” Ross blinked.

Dan shrugged "I don't fucking know dude..."

"Well...we'll find something. We should just keep going forward." Ross said as he and Dan continued onwards.

This section of the caverns was much larger than Ross thought; apparently the floor beneath them was where they needed to go. Just not how they anticipated to get there.

Ross walked for what seemed like forever; the cave getting dimmer and larger until Ross began to hear crunching under his boot.

“What the…” Ross muttered as he bent down and picked up what he stepped on.

“W-What is it?” Dan asked.

Ross lifted up his hand to reveal a small emerald, as he blinked at it with surprise.

“Whoa…” Dan mumbled.

Ross grinned widely in excitement "We're close."

The boys continued on, as the crunching of gems began to lead them further and further. Dan cautiously gripped Ross's shoulders, while Ross walked onwards.

Soon after, the crunching under Ross’s feet continued to get louder and louder until Dan gasped lightly.

"What?" Ross asked, not paying attention as he was admiring the emerald he found earlier.

Dan sighed, lightly putting a hand to Ross's chin and lifted it up, making Ross gasp at the sight as well.

Lo and behold, a massive pile of gold and jewels was stacked perfectly in a mountain of treasure, right ahead of the two. Its fortunes glittering and gossamer, it could take ones breath away.

Ross practically raced to the gold as he laughed with glee. He lightly put Dan down as he grasped the coins and jewels in his hands “Oh my fucking god! It-It’s real! All of it! I can’t believe it…”

Dan then picked up a crown with gems encrusted on it and looked at his reflection inside  “So this is what we were after?”

Ross nodded “Yeah man! The treasure of Graeme, I’ve heard stories about it forever. I never thought I’d actually see it with my own eyes.”

Dan shrugged. “Honestly, this seems like any old treasure for me.”

"Aren't you always around treasure anyway? You're a siren, there should be hundreds of sunken treasure chests or something where you live, right?" Ross asked.

Dan nodded "I just don't find them all that special anymore."

Ross started to fill some coins and jewels in his pockets as Dan picked up a mahogany harp and plucked a note on a string. It echoed in the walls of the caves as a sudden familiar rumble shook the floor.

Dan clutched the harp nervously as Ross immediately stopped stuffing his pockets with gold.

The two stiffened as the rumblings began to feel like massive footsteps coming closer towards them.

“Ross….” Dan whispered fearfully as a giant creature towered above Ross and Dan, not seeing them below.

But boy did they see him.

Scales of greens covered the body of the humongous beast with a long sweeping tail and purple spikes going up its back and up to its head. With big glowing yellow eyes and sharp fangs sticking out of its mouth; the dragon of Graeme stood menacingly above Dan and Ross as the two fearfully looked up.

Ross clenched his teeth as he tried to carefully walk backwards from the pile.

Dan shook his head at Ross’s attempts to move as he put a finger to his mouth.

Ross nodded, but suddenly bumped into a mirror standing behind him. The mirror fell over and cracked into pieces, making a loud smashing sound as it fell onto the floor.

Ross paused and covered his mouth, as the dragon turned its head to the noise it heard.

Silently praying for dear life, Ross stood still and afraid as the dragon peered at him.

The dragon blinked tiredly at Ross; apparently not seeing him as it lowered his head down onto the pile of gold like it was a pillow. Waiting a moment, Ross released a relieved breath as Dan looked to be sweating bullets on the other side of the pile.

Ross motioned Dan to stay still as he carefully tiptoed over the gold, careful not to make another loud sound.

Dan's face grew pale as he gently put down the harp in his hands, but the harp made a loud clank from falling from the pile of coins to the cave floor.

Instantly the dragon’s tail twitched, and the beast opened its massive eyes.

Dan let out a whimper as the dragon’s eyes shifted to the siren, shrinking in size threateningly as its head rose upwards.

“DAN, RUN!” Ross screamed as he began to dash towards his friend.

Dan was frozen in fear, until the dragon let out a terrifying roar that shook the cave walls. Dan tried to crawl backwards from the dragon as it started to focus solely on the siren to attack.

Suddenly pieces of jewels hit the dragon in the eye.

It turned to see Ross throwing treasure at the monster's eyes and mouth to distract it.

“Ross!” Dan cried as he crawled quickly past the unbeknownst dragon. The beast roared as Ross quickly swooped up Dan in his arms and began to run for the exit.

“Oh shit oh shit oh shit!!” Ross yelped as the dragon began to chase them from behind.

Dan looked back and cried out “Ross, it’s right fucking there!”

“I know!” Ross replied back as he started to pick up his speed.

The dragon began whipping his tail, knocking the walls and making stalactite fall from above. Ross quickly ran around them as Dan buried his face in his hands. Another roar echoed loudly, making Dan and Ross tense up in fear.

“We need a plan!” Ross cried.

“Like what?!” Dan replied.

“Distracting seems to work!” Ross said.

“I don’t think he’s in the mood for money, Ross!” Dan yelled.

Ross tried to think of what he could do; the dragon was right on their tails. Suddenly he got an idea “Dan, try singing to him!”

“What?!” Dan cried.

“It-it could keep him distracted long enough for us to get away!” Ross replied.

“Goddammit Ross, does it look like now’s a good time?!” Dan quipped.

Ross tried to yell back, but gasped at the wall ending the cave in front of them.

“We’re cornered!!” Dan gripped Ross’s shoulders as they skidded to a stop.

The dragon caught up to them, and let out one more massive roar. Ross turned around, stepping back as his brain rattled for an idea. Suddenly one struck. It was probably stupid. And not very planned out. It could probably end them on the spot. But...

“Dan, get on my back!” Ross hissed.

“What?!” Dan whimpered.

“Just do it!” Ross replied.

Dan complied and climbed onto Ross’s back and held onto him tightly.

Ross looked up, filled with determination. “Hey, dragon breath! Yeah I mean you!” Ross screamed at the dragon.

“Ross what are you doing?” Dan whispered.

“Yeah I took your lousy treasure! You want it back?!” Ross frowned, taking out a handful of gold from his pocket.The dragon growled at him, flashing his ginormous teeth.

“Then here!” Ross yelled, throwing them right at the monster’s face and making it stomp the floor angrily.

The impact from the shaking made the walls crack deeply as Ross looked up. Seeing his chance, he ran to a safe distance behind a boulder with Dan. Before the dragon could turn around, the cave walls collapsed on him, opening up an exit for the boys towards the seashore.

The two peeked out from behind the safe spot. Dan let out a nervous giggle “Ross, you’re a genius!” Dan grinned as Ross carried him towards the wall opening.

“How the hell did you know what would happen?” Dan asked.

“I…didn't, actually. That was pure bullshit luck.” Ross replied plainly.

“Well, let’s go before he gets up…” Dan said.

“Eh, why worry? He’s out like a lig-” Ross paused at the movement of the dragon from the rubble. “Never mind let’s go!” Ross cried as he ran for his docked boat with Dan in his arms.

 

~~~~

 

“Did you see the dragon when I threw those coins in his face? Oh my god, he was so pissed off, I thought I was gonna be eaten right then and there!” Ross laughed as he rowed the dingy back to the ship’s side.

Dan rolled his eyes as he giggled “You almost were. That cave idea really came in handy.”

Ross shrugged “That’s the amazing thing about me, I’m full of surprises.”

“Oh you gotta be kidding, you told me yourself you didn’t plan that.” Dan pointed out.

“No I’m sure I said….yes, I..did plan it.” Ross said but faltered near the end, and smacked his hand against his face in defeat. Dan laughed out loud at his, making Ross giggle as well.

“Well, it’s too bad you lost all that treasure back there.” Dan replied.

Ross lifted his head and nodded sadly “Yeah. I guess it was the safe bet. Besides, I didn’t want you getting hurt, man.”

Dan blushed “Well thanks. Also did you really toss all that gold you took from the dragon?”

Ross pondered for a moment, digging through his pockets to reveal he had at least a handful of gold and some jewels remaining. “Nope. Still a few left. Thank god or else this would have been for nothing.”

“Oh man, and we would have went all the way there just to get almost eaten by a dragon.” Dan giggled.

Ross laughed back as he tied the dinghy back to the ship, pulling him and Dan onto the deck.

“Hey...thanks for sticking with me, dude...I’m sorry I made you come, I’m sure you didn’t want to.”  Ross said as he helped Dan out of the boat.

“It’s alright...actually...it was kinda fun. Despite getting chased by a vicious monster.” Dan said.

Ross raised an eyebrow “Really?”

Dan nodded “Yeah...you’re fun to hang with, Ross.”

Ross grinned, looking as excited as a puppy.

“Just don’t convince me to fight a dragon again, that shit was scary.” Dan pointed out, then laughed.

“Gotcha. I’ll be the badass who saves the girl in the tower. Sorry, I mean SIREN.” Ross teased.

Dan shook his head as he giggled “You’re such a jerk.”

“Whoops.” Ross joked, sticking his tongue out.

The two laughed as they headed into the kitchen to celebrate their small victory, and promised each other not to tell the others about their little scavenger hunt.

Though they didn’t come out with much treasure, they did get something out of the whole adventure; a new brotherly friendship that’d last them a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and so ends Ross and Dan's first pirating adventure! 
> 
> I made so many King's Quests references in here XD  
> (try and find them all! A complete list of the references will be out later on my blog!)
> 
> Music of choice (Dragon chase scene): A Rapid Escape (King's Quest: A Knight To Remember OST) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur-G3pXRMw0
> 
> Music of choice for this chapter: This piano cover of Girl in the Tower (to get those feels going) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2otBiuJ-1w
> 
> this probably won't be the last I reference King's Quest so much XD Yo Sierra Games, get chapter two out already so Dan and Ross can play it some more! I might run low on material! lol jk


	12. Sleeping Problems

"Dan! Come and check this out, man!" Ross said excitingly as he pulled hard on Dan's wagon, and ran fast along the ship's deck. The crew had made it out to the sea, after docking a while ago to resupply. Though more than just restocking happened, which explained Ross and Dan's much more frequent days of fun together.  


Dan blushed a bit, not expecting the sudden burst of energy from Ross. He lightly gripped the sides of the rickety wooden wagon, as Ross tugged at the handle.  


“C-Calm down…” Dan whispered. 

"Dude, you won't believe the fucking huge thing I found here! Be excited!" Ross grinned, pulling Dan behind him at an incredibly fast speed. Luckily, Dan had a very good sense of balance so he didn’t fall or tumble out of the wagon. 

Ross eventually rolled Dan to the end of the deck, and grabbed a hold of a nearby rope "Okay, you gotta see this. Ready?" 

“Sure.” Dan shrugged, unable to deny his energy. 

Ross then pulled up on the rope, as something hanging from it clanked onto the ship's deck.

“Uhhhhh...ok?” Dan blinked. 

Ross then unwrapped the object from inside, and revealed a massive trophy. Beaming, he held it up.  


"See?!" Ross exclaimed.

“Oh boy, a hunk of metal.” Dan sighed. 

"Dude, its a fucking trophy! Who the hell would throw a perfectly good trophy out in the ocean like this, it must be worth a lot!" Ross said, shining it with the bottom of his shirt. 

“Sirens find shit like this all the time, no big deal.” Dan replied. 

"Well, it’s still really cool to me. Say, do you know anyone who's good at...I can't tell if that's badminton or something..." Ross squinted his eyes, looking at the pressed name on the plate. 

“I have no idea what that even is.”Dan sighed.

"Hey guys, what'd you find?" Barry asked, carrying his book in his hands as he approached the two. 

“Ross found some hunk of metal.” Dan retorted. 

"It’s not a hunk of- okay yes, it's a hunk of metal. But it's a trophy for something." Ross said, showing it to Barry enthusiastically. 

“Still looks like trash to me.” Dan remarked. 

"You good at badminton, Barry?" Ross asked. 

"Ah, no I don't think so..." Barry rolled his eyes. 

“What the hell is badminton?” Dan inquired. 

"It's a game. You hit a ball and pass it back and forth to the other player with a racket."

Dan raised his scarred eyebrow at the unknown word. 

"Well, its....kinda like a really big....uhh...Barry?" Ross wondered, not able to place the words. 

Barry shrugged as Dan giggled at the situation. 

"Well, it's...it's kinda like...umm...like a big...net? On a stick?" Ross guessed. 

“Sounds right to me, I’m not a sports guy though.” Barry sighed. 

"Yeah. You, the theater thespian." Ross replied. 

Barry looked up with a frown “S-So? I-It’s...it’s fun...and an art.” Barry blushed. 

"Whoa, Barry. I'm not judging, I'm just saying yes, you don't do sports, because you're in the arts. No harm no foul." Ross said. 

“R-Right.” Barry nodded slowly as Brian glared down at the them from the mast. Ross noticed the pair of glaring eyes on him as he looked up "You enjoying the show, Brian?"

Brian rolled his eyes as he flipped Ross off. 

Ross sighed "Man, why was that hand gesture...thing...invented?..." 

“For people like Brian.” Barry chuckled. 

"Well whatever, he can be a hard ass if he wants. Maybe if we keep fishing we can find something cooler than a badminton trophy." Ross shrugged.

“Nothing else to do.” Barry admitted as Dan glanced over to Arin. Arin was at his post, steering at the helm as he yawned tiredly into his sleeve. He ruffled his unbrushed brown hair and blinked more than once to keep his attention. Dan noticed this instantly “R-Ross...c-can you take me over to Arin?” 

"Hm? Oh yeah sure." 

Ross then took a hold of the wagon's control and pulled Dan up to the deck where Arin was.The Captain looked lightly at the siren as he yawned again, but tried his best not to show it.  


Ross parked Dan's wagon right next to the helm, and left to go fish with Barry.

A few moments of silence went by before Dan sighed.

“You losing sleep?” Dan guessed. 

Arin raised his eyebrows "Uh pff no...what...what makes you think that? Pff."

“You’ve been yawning non stop.” Dan replied. 

"Maybe I'm just...practicing...to... breath...fiiiiire?..." Arin said, not before smacking his face embarrassingly. 

“Oh? You gonna become a dragon then?” Dan grinned.

"Maybe...still up in the air..." Arin muttered under his hand.

“Why not take a break?” Dan suggested.

Arin sighed "We-Well..."  


"Come on dude, even the Captain needs a rest sometimes." Dan assured.

Arin rubbed his eyes and lightly exhaled "I guess it couldn't hurt... Brian, hold my post!" 

The assassin slid down the mast and exchanged his spots with Arin, as the captain began to head for his quarters.

Arin dragged Dan with him, as the old wagon creaked and squeaked. "You know man, we should probably make you something a little better to be rolled around in." Arin stated. 

“Well right now I’m fine with a wagon.” Dan shrugged. 

"Yeah, but it might be better later to upgrade. Like...I could probably build you some kinda wheelie tank thing with Barry." Arin replied.

“I don’t know what any of that is.” Dan pointed out. 

Arin laughed "Okay well, just know that you'll get a better transportation thing once I come up with one."

“Alright.” Dan replied.  


"Maybe with cushions or some kind of headrest." Arin pictured. Dan giggled "I'm fine sitting up, you know."

Arin smiled "But just in case of those long boat trips, something comfy is always good."

"I guess so." Dan nodded.

After carefully getting Dan and his wagon down the small stairs leading into the cabins, Arin made it to the captain's quarters and opened the door. As Arin pulled Dan in, the siren looked around at the not-so clean workspace of the captain. Maps and papers scattered all over the desk and table, clothes on the floor, and quite a bit of dust on top of the small piano. It didn't help much that the windows were closed, making the quarters a lot darker than the other rooms.  


"Don't mind the mess, I'll probably clean up in here when I get the chance." Arin said, lightly stepping over random things on the floor. 

“And by that you mean never?” Dan joked. 

"Ha ha. No, I will." Arin smirked back.

Dan glanced at his surrounds, and pondered on Arin's unusual behavior. The room and him seem to be holding some buried emotions.

“Hey...um...you ok?” Dan asked. 

Arin began to clear a side of the room, not looking at the siren "Of course. Why do you ask?" Arin replied.

“You just seemed down..." Dan said.  


"Down? Like how?" Arin asked with his back still turned.

"Your eyes...looked sad.” Dan pointed out. 

Arin paused "Oh...t-they do?...I mean...I do?"

Dan nodded “Yeah..it’s...like something is bothering you…” Dan muttered. 

"Heh...n-nay..I'm okay..." Arin replied softly.

“You’re a bad liar.” Dan smiled. 

Arin frowned "Yeah?"

Dan nodded, making the captain laugh faintly.

"..A-Alright...but if I say what... you won't judge, right?" 

“Of course not.” Dan replied. 

"A-Alright then..." Arin whispered. 

Arin simply took a seat on his dirty floor, sitting in front of Dan. He frowned again "Okay so...I've been...having dreams. And they kinda have a point, but kinda don't at the same time..." 

"Okay..." Dan nodded.

"It's....well, they're kinda...hard to explain. But basically, they come almost every night. And I have no fucking clue what it means or why I have them." Arin explained.

“Hmmmm...sounds stressful.” Dan mumbled. 

"Oh god it is..." Arin heaved.

“Have you been able to sleep decently at least?” Dan pondered. 

Arin paused, then a moment later, shook his head with defeat. Dan bit his lip, seeing Arin at this much a low was hard to see.   


“I-I can help…” Dan blushed. 

Arin looked up "H-How?" Arin asked. 

“I could always sing you to sleep.” Dan suggested. 

Arin's cheeks instantly turned pink.

Dan's did as well "Well I-I mean, m-my voice can sooth you into sleeping. That's what i meant....to say...."

"I mean, if you think it could work...it's worth a shot. But would it go like, what you were doing with Brian?" Arin questioned.

“Well...you’d be in a trance but you’d do what I tell you.” Dan explained. 

Arin looked a bit unsure. 

"I-If you don't want to, Arin, we won't." Dan assured nervously. 

I...mm...I-I guess, we could try."Arin said, shrugging gently.  


“Okay...sounds good, um...you comfortable in that outfit?” Dan replied.

"Wait, we're trying it now?" Arin stated. 

“Well unless you’d rather wait.” Dan pointed out. 

"I don't know...I mean, we could see how it works now...I don't think anyone would mind if the captain is asleep for a bit." Arin said.

“Alright, just...try to relax.” Dan instructed.

The two of them awkwardly leaned away from one another as Arin did as he was told, taking a breath and leaned back against his desk "Okay..." 

Dan cleared his throat, and then began to sing his lovely and alluring tune. Arin felt a strange and oddly familiar feeling come slowly to him, but kept quiet so Dan could continue. Dan's melodies were both mystifying and serene, as Arin felt the song invading his entire mind. The two sat there, one singing, while the other began to fall into a deep daze. 

After a few minutes, Dan soon stopped his singing as he noticed that Arin was finally under his spell. He looked as dazed as before, as he weakly swayed back and forth. 

“Hey...you ok?” Dan whispered. 

"Yesssss...." Arin mumbled, sounding disoriented.

“That’s good, umm...you need some sleep.” Dan smiled. 

Arin giggled tiredly, making Dan raise an eyebrow lightly.

"You're pretty..." Arin replied, wearing a dopey grin. 

Dan blinked “R-Really?”   


"Mmhmm..." Arin nodded slowly.

Dan's cheeks grew red; the siren bit his lip to hide his obvious smile “T-Thank you...um...y-you should sleep now.” Dan sighed, getting back to the task at hand. 

"Your voice....familiar..." Arin mumbled. 

Dan's smile faded “Um….that’s nonsense….” Dan laughed nervously. 

"Voice...in my dream..." Arin said with a small frown. 

"Voice?....Oh….um….ah…..” Dan blushed deeply. 

"Calling...me...can't get...to it..." Arin continued. 

Dan kept blushing, recalling the event in his head. “Look, just...just go to sleep.” Dan muttered. 

Arin nodded, leaning backward onto the floor. 

“N-No...not on the floor.” Dan panicked. 

Arin sat back up, and slowly stood "Oops...." 

“Yeah…” Dan laughed lightly. 

Arin walked to his bed and laid down on the mattress. Dan sighed, but then heard a mutter "Hold...." 

“Hold what?” Dan blinked.

"That's what...it said...hold...me..." Arin stated. 

Dan blushed again, wheeling himself over to the bed. "I..." 

"...Dan..." Arin said, before he closed his eyes.

“Y-Yes?” Dan whispered. 

 

"...." 

 

Arin didn't reply as he suddenly fell to sleep. 

 

Dan was discombobulated, ruffling his fingers through his hair as he blinked at the sleeping captain. Oh lord...he knew. He knew it was him. Or maybe not, of course Arin only thought the voice was in his dreams, right? The siren blushed deeper. What will he say? What will he do?

Dan sighed slowly, deciding to keep an eye on Arin for the remainder of the day.   


'He'll find out' Dan's thoughts whispered. 'He's gonna hate you for it.' Dan shook his head, no he wouldn't. Arin would understand. He would.

Dan watched Arin's chest peacefully rise and fall. Dan took another breath.

....would he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *lightly ignites the Egobang firepit*  
> Music of choice: Black and White (Reprise) by Skyhill   
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_qiHmKAckY


	13. Drink Up, Me Hearties!

"Pull, dammit! With your legs, Barry!" Ross complained as he, Barry, and Arin pulled hard on the rope.The three had been at it for at least a couple of minutes; all of them just couldn't get the weighted item up onto the deck.  


“I-I’m trying!” Barry whined, not the strongest man on the crew. 

"For God's sake, why is this so fucking heavy?!" Arin growled.

Dan watched from nearby as he gently giggled at Arin's growing frustration. Something about it was enduring.  


"Pull, you son of a bitch!" Arin yelled. 

"I'm fucking pulling, Arin!" Ross cried. 

Dan then gripped his hands to the rope and pulled the net up easily with the others helping.

They quickly got the net onto the deck as they marveled at their catch crab and shrimp.

"Fuck yeah! We're having jambalaya tonight, gentleman!" Ross said proudly. 

Dan then noticed something “What’s that?” 

"Huh?" Ross turned, seeing a small object hidden in the pile.

“Looks shiny.” Dan noted. 

Ross went to his knees and looked carefully in the pile of crabs, getting pinched by a few as he searched.  "Ow...ow...ow...OW FUCK." 

Dan picked up a crab as it tried to pinch him but he hissed in return. 

"That's right Dan, show that crab who's boss." Barry joked. 

“Holy fuck!” Ross gasped. 

"What, what did you find?" Arin asked. 

"Probably another lousy trophy..." Barry replied, rolling his eyes. 

Ross then held up some rubies and silver coins “Woah….” 

"Holy fuck?!" Arin gasped, coming up from behind to get a better look. 

“T-There’s enough here to share.” Ross pointed out. 

Barry immediately bent down and searched. To his surprise, he suddenly grabbed a handful of silver coins and grinned "Oh my god..." 

“T-This is awesome!” Arin laughed. 

“Meh.” Brian shrugged. 

Ross frowned, as the assassin appeared behind them, unfazed by the treasure. 

“We are totally having a celebration tonight!” Arin declared.

"Dude, how the fuck aren't you excited? You're a pirate for God's sake." Ross said to Brian.

“Woo hoo…” Brian replied dully. 

"Wow...." Ross stated, unimpressed. 

“Come on, let’s eat and get drunk.” Arin said. 

Barry raised an eyebrow "You think that'd be the best idea? Getting shitfaced?"

“Come on guys, this is the first time we’ve found something amazing! We deserve to have fun.” Arin smiled.

"But getting shitfaced? Arin, you barely drink as it is." Barry stated.

"We're pirates, like Ross said! Besides, this is huge! Let's party, Bar!" Arin grinned.  


"I mean, I'm all for it." Ross shrugged. "Barry?" Ross and Arin both looked Barry's way, making him frown. 

“F-Fine…” Barry sighed. 

"Then it's settled. LET'S GET SHITFACED!" Arin stated. 

With that, the crew set down the anchor for the night and began to cook their dinner. 

"Dan, hand me your bowl, would you?" Ross asked, spooning the hot steaming pot. 

Dan nodded, handing the item over to Ross. 

"Man, how long has it been since we had actual treasure in our hands?" Arin asked. 

“Too long.” Barry smiled. 

"Remember the olden days? We had shitloads of it before..." Ross reminisced. 

"Yeah. That was the best." Arin nodded.

Ross handed the bowl back to Dan as he chewed on his food with his sharp teeth. 

"I think the last time, was, what, 3 years ago almost? We robbed that one jeweler's store in Port Jared." Arin stated. 

“Yeah, it was amazing.” Ross sighed. 

Brian then tossed the bottle of whisky to Arin. The captain caught it in time as he grinned.  


“Pour us some cups.” Brian suggested. 

"You sure?" Barry asked. 

“Come on Barry, never been drunk before?” Ross teased. 

"Not...recently...no." Barry admitted. 

Arin then poured everyone a glass as Ross gulped some down instantly. 

Barry had some hesitation, but then took a large gulp; immediately regretting it. 

Brian moved his scarf down, gulping some down without an issue. 

"Heh, remember that one time, we wanted to find chicks over at one of the island ports? Barry got in good with the one girl there, till he met her sister." Arin giggled. 

“Hey, hey….she was hot too but like...they wanted marriage. And I...am free.” Barry said before sipping some more whisky. 

"Free as a bird." Arin replied. 

"Birds suck." Ross mumbled. 

Dan looked at his glass, not drinking as he sniffled it before hissing. 

"What's up, Dan? Not your type?" Arin asked. 

“No, it smells gross.” Dan said, putting his glass on the table. 

"You get past the smell. I mean, look at Brian." Ross motioned, seeing that Brian had already taken at least 7 shots. 

“My god…” Dan blinked. 

"Go Brian. Chug, chug, chug, chug..." Arin giggled. 

“N-No! He’ll throw up or something.” Dan panicked. 

"Nay, he can hold his own liquor. Trained assassin and all." Ross explained, his words at the end sounding a bit slurred. 

“R-Right…” Dan muttered as Ross stole Dan’s glass. 

Barry frowned "H-Hey, hey...not nice Ross. You have to ask first."

“He can have it, I’m not into drinking.” Dan shrugged. 

"Man, think of how fucking crazy it'd get if chicks were here..." Ross began.

“Yeah, if you’re gonna be a jerk.” Dan sighed. 

"Hey I can...woo a woman just fine..." Ross retorted, before he burped loudly. 

“You couldn’t even woo me if you tried.” Dan joked.

"Ahahaha! He got you, man!" Barry said, sounding already out of it.

Dan rolled his eyes, then turned to Arin. However the captain didn't look so great. “You ok Arin?” Dan asked. 

Arin looked tiredly at Dan "H-Hell yeah...these..these drinks can't conta-can't contain ol' Captain Arin..." 

“R-Right…” Dan muttered as the others kept drinking until they ran out of whisky. 

~~~

"But the worst thing..." Ross said during his story, crying and blubbering as he leaned on his chair. 

“Uhhhhhhh.” Dan mumbled, not sure how to handle all of this. 

"I-Is that, she...she didn't even write, man!...she-she tells me one day 'oh hey lets-lets go and buy some shit' and I'm like 'okay' but she-she fucking goes with Alastair instead? The fuck?..." Ross cried. 

“Free man, is what you is.” Barry giggled, patting Ross's back gently . 

"Be like the bird, and fly, fly, fly away...bye bird...bye bye..." Arin muttered. 

“Y-Yeah...birds..” Barry sighed. 

"I o-only knew her for a week, man! And then I get...shoved away, by some dickhole in a f-fancy suit..." Ross sobbed, tears streaming down his face.

"Brian, what do you think?" Arin asked the completely drunk assassin at the end of the table. 

“Whatever...don’t give a fuck.” Brian said, crossing his arms. He looked out of it; sprained eyes and messy hair as he lightly swayed in his seat.  


"Hahaha, you heartless bitch." Arin giggled. 

Dan couldn't deal with this anymore.

“Um….I-I think you guys are drunk.” Dan frowned. 

"No, YOU'RE drunk, fishy." Ross slurred. 

Dan sighed “I haven’t drank anything.”

"Is truuuuuuuue." Barry agreed dully. 

“Y-You guys should get some sleep.” Dan suggested. 

"Sleep is for the weak! M-Mark...Mark wouldn't stand for sleeeep." Ross complained. 

Dan frowned “You all are annoying me.” 

"M-Mark? Dude...y-you-you don't bring Mark up..." Arin ignored Dan, looking shaken by Ross's comment. 

"Why not, Arin?...You gonna cry about it?..." Ross teased. 

"You fuck...he-he.." Arin struggled to speak, as he felt an unexpected wave of tears come. Dan blinked as the captain hung his head and quietly cried.  


“H-Hey...come on it’s ok.” Dan soothed, patting Arin’s back. 

"H-He fucking didn't deserve it!.." Arin cried. 

Dan bit his lip “C-Come on Arin, calm down.”   


"He's right...he-he's an innocent in this..." Barry mumbled. 

“J-Just...relax Arin. It’s ok.” Dan soothed, rubbing his back. 

"If he's an innocent, then-then why he-he'd fucking sail us in-into that goddamn storm, huh?! He coulda turned around!" Ross growled from across the table. 

“L-Look...um...I-I’m sure sometimes...it happens...things like this happen for a reason.” Dan frowned. 

"He'd be alive if-if he had known before about that storm!..so who fucking could have saved us the trouble?! Assassin?! You got somethin'?" Ross yelled angrily, his face glowing bright red. 

“Guys, you’re all being stupid. Complaining about the past won’t do anything.” Dan stated. 

"I need to lie down..." Barry mumbled, before his head suddenly hit the tabletop, and he passed out on the spot.  


Dan gasped "Guys, please. You're all being stupid and immature here."  


Arin began randomly crying again, as Ross bitterly stated "I'm not b-being stupid! We-we coulda had...it all! We coulda made it big! We...we coulda had Mark here still! But who decides to go and fuck it allllll up?!" 

“Yeah? And those could of beens can’t happen.” Dan frowned. 

"Fuck 'couldn't happen'! They shoulda happened! Know why, Dan?!" Ross asked.

“No and I don’t care to listen.” Dan retorted as Ross’ anger grew. 

Ross screamed "I'm gonna fucking tell you!! Mark...Mark was killed, man!!" 

Dan's eyes widened. Arin cried harder into his hands.  


"He was killed...by THAT BASTARD!" 

Ross then pointed straight at Brian. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh lord.
> 
>  
> 
> This is why drinking is no good, stay in school kiddies.  
> Music for the drinking portion of the chapter: Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me Remix by BartMorganRocks) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaP45g_3MLw


	14. Things Left Unsaid

"He was killed...BY THAT BASTARD!" Ross screamed, pointing right at the drunk assassin across the table.

“Fuck you!” Brian snapped, his face turning red. 

Dan flinched, gripping the side of the table.

"G-Guys..." Arin mumbled, only to be ignored by Ross."No, fuck you, Brian! You left your fucking post!!" 

“S-Shut your mouth! I didn’t mean to!” Brian sniffled. 

"You fucking caused it, Brian! You absolutely fucking did!" Ross shouted.

Ross then suddenly broke down in tears, as Arin lazily lifted his head up "I-I think we-we need a breather now..." 

“No, Ross you’re such a dick.” Brian grumbled as he reached for an empty bottle of whiskey. 

"Yeah? W-What else is newww..." Ross grumbled.

Brian then grabbed the bottle by its neck and stood up, looking at the two crewman and siren with red eyes filled with anger as he clutched the bottle tightly.

"Whoa man...whoa..." Arin said, standing up before he shook drunkenly to the side. 

Ross darted over to Arin but tripped as Brian followed slowly. 

“Go awayyyy!.” Ross whined.

"B-Brian, p-put it down, man..." Arin muttered. 

“No! You guys mock m-me for leaving my post! I-I know it’s my fault and I’m sick of it!” Brian shouted. 

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, i-I-I didn't mean it..." Ross cried. 

Brian looked ready to snap and swing at any point, lifting up the bottle high.

"Bri, c-come on man, please..." Arin mumbled as Dan came up in front of the captain.

“B-Brian...just...relax.” Dan tried. 

**“YOU RELAX!”** Brian snapped before smashing the bottle over Dan’s head. 

Dan instantly blacked out, falling to the floor with a loud thud. "Daaaaaan?!" Ross screamed, before sobbing hard. 

"Holy fuck?!" Arin shouted, before looking up at Brian with eyes of hatred.

Brian dropped the item as he began to break down into sobs as well. 

Arin shook his head, getting down to Dan's side and laying his hands lightly on Dan's shoulders "F-Fuck..no-no-no not...not Dan too..." 

Ross then blinked, seeing Dan’s chest slowly rise and fall.bHe crawled over next to Arin, tears still streaming down his face "Be-Be alive Dan...please be..." 

Arin checked for a pulse and found one, making him sigh in relief. "Good...." He muttered. 

“H-He’s bleeding.” Ross hiccuped. 

Arin looked, lightly lifting Dan's head onto his lap. He saw the blood dripping from his head as more tears brimmed in his eyes "Oh God...Dan I-I'm sorry..." 

“W-We gotta save ‘em.” Ross hiccuped again. 

"B-Brian...he-help us, man..." Arin said in between his sobs. 

Brian looked at the two on the ground cradling the unconscious siren as he then grabbed their medicine bag and began to tend to the wound. 

Brian bent down across from Arin, unraveling some cloths.“Get the glass outta his hair.” Brian told Arin. 

Arin nodded, picking out the pieces and got a few cuts in the process, though he could care less. Soon enough, Arin had removed all the glass as Brian began to bandage the wound on his forehead. 

After some brief silence...

"H-He's gonna be okay?" Ross asked, still very emotional. 

“Yeah, he needs rest.” Brian sighed. 

"Let's put 'em in the water..." Arin proposed. 

Ross and Brian nodded and with some effort, they got Dan back into the bathtub and began to run some water. Arin began to stroke Dan’s shoulder, incredibly worried for the siren. "I-It's okay...you're gonna be okay..." Arin muttered nervously. 

“I’ma go pass out.” Ross slurred. 

"Oh shit, I forgot...Barry..." Arin stated. 

“I’ll grab ‘em.” Brian sighed, trudging off. 

Arin nodded, as he looked sadly at Dan "I'm s-sorry..." 

Dan's chest gently rose and fell, making Arin sigh. The siren just wanted to help.

Ross laid down on the floor, curling up into a ball “Is he ok?” 

"I guess....so..." Arin mumbled. 

Brian returned with Barry; the thespian was slumped over Brian's shoulder, completely passed out. Brian extended his hand to Ross, pulling him up and taking Ross with him towards their cabins. 

When they were alone, Arin covered his mouth in shock, remembering the moment as it replayed in his mind. The sudden drop to the floor, Dan coming in front of him for protection, the sound of the glass hitting him in the head. Arin closed his eyes as tears came streaming. What did he do? This was all his fault. He caused this. And it hurt Dan in the process, something he vowed to himself he wouldn't do.

Dan moved weakly in the tub, as Arin looked surprised. His eyes barely opened as his curly hair fell over them. 

“Where…..” 

"Bathroom...you're alive, that-that's good..." Arin replied slowly.

“Tired….” Dan whispered. 

Arin nodded "Me too..." 

Not wanting to leave, Arin leaned back, and laid on the floor next to the tub. Dan blinked tiredly “Sleep now…” 

"Okay..." Arin whispered as he closed his eyes. 

 

~~~

 

When Arin awoke again, he had a splitting headache. "Goddammit...." He groaned, placing a hand on his head. 

He glanced up, seeing Dan still sleeping. "H-He's alright...." Arin sighed in relief. 

Arin laid there, waiting for the headache to pass while watching over the siren. He felt like a bag of bricks fell on his head, as he sighed heavily. He knew that they wouldn’t be drinking for a long time. Especially him.  


"Mmm...." A low voice muttered as Arin looked up. 

“Who’s there?” Arin groaned. 

"I think you know." A familiar deep voice stated. 

“Nooo…” Arin whined. 

"Arin, calm down, man..." The voice said, as his face entered into Arin's view. 

“No,Mark. You heard me sobbing and being a huge baby yesterday.” Arin pouted. 

"Yes...but it was understandable." Mark said softly.

“Whatever...I’m just worried ‘bout Dan.” Arin sighed, deciding to move on. 

Mark looked gently at Dan "As you should...Brian's got quite an arm."

“Yeah...poor Dan...just...he tried to help us.” Arin sniffled.

Mark frowned lightly, sitting on the rim of the tub. "You had no idea how the night would go, Arin. Don't beat yourself up about it..." Mark reasoned. 

“I know...just...I care about him a lot.” Arin confessed. 

Mark smiled "I know...you both have quite the friendship...kinda like ours was." Mark noted.

Arin laughed quietly "Yeah...I miss it."

Mark blinked "...Yeah..."

 “Mmm...Arin…” Dan breathed, his eyes barely opened “Arin…” 

Arin turned, getting up and going to Dan's side "It's okay...I'm here, man..."

Arin rubbed Dan's shoulder comfortingly as Dan blinked tiredly "Dizzy..."  


"It'll be alright, man. You just need some rest, okay?" Arin said.

“So...pretty…” 

Arin stopped. "B-Beg pardon?" 

“So...so pretty….” Dan whispered, looking at Arin. Arin blushed, glancing at Mark for assistance. Mark shrugged, completely clueless on what to do.  


"O-Okay you need to rest up, man..." Arin said, trying to hide his blushing cheeks and confused expression. 

“I like….you…” Dan admitted. 

Arin's mouth hung.

Mark blinked in shock. 

"W-Wha..." Arin blushed red, rubbing his neck. He...liked him?Maybe he didn't mean it the way he said it?  


"Like...as a friend?" Arin asked.

Dan was silent.

Arin's eyes bulged.

Dan breathed slowly, as Arin bit his lip. Suddenly he began to stand.

"I..I...I gotta go." 

“No...d-don’t leave me…” Dan whimpered, lightly holding onto Arin's hand. 

Arin's face grew redder and redder.

“Don’t...don’t go..scared…” Dan sniffled. 

"I...I...mean..." Arin stuttered. 

Arin stayed still; his and and Dan's hands were still intertwined.

“Sorry…” Dan muttered. 

Arin looked down at Dan's hand on top of his. "It-it's okay....it's okay..." Arin replied, his chest tightening. 

“Just...so tired…” Dan blinked.

"No I...I get it...you sleep, Dan..." Arin stated. 

“Sleep…” Dan repeated before slipping off into a deep slumber; his hand lightly falling off Arin's and into the tub. 

Arin couldn't move or talk. What...just happened?

Arin met Mark's eyes; the ghost looked just as surprised as Arin was.

"Well...that was something." Mark whispered. 

“Y-Yeah.” Arin mumbled, still fazed. 

Mark bit his lip, and said to his friend concerningly "You wanna talk about it?" 

Arin pondered for a moment, before lightly shaking his head.

Mark nodded back "Alright then..."

“Y-You think he meant it?” Arin blinked.  


"Well...' Mark began 'he must mean it as a friend. And when you're hit in the head, you say odd things." Mark explained. 

"That's true...." Arin nodded.  


"Now all he needs is sleep." Mark nodded at the siren.  


Arin sighed "Yep..."

Mark noticed Arin's still shaken demeanor as he smiled lightly; patting Arin's shoulder gently as he faded out of the room. 

Arin sighed, ruffling his hair as he gazed at the siren. His mind was in knots, not just from the hangover, but from the talk just now. Did Dan mean that? Did he like him the way Arin assumed he did?   


No, that'd be crazy...right?

Maybe Mark was correct; Dan just needed rest. And it was true when you hit your head you don't make sense sometimes. But those little words MADE sense. And Dan not saying no to confirm or deny it didn't help matters either.

Arin ruffled his hair, completely drained from the ordeal. He debated on leaving the room...but...

Dan slept softly next to him in the rub; his chest rising and falling gently as the siren looked both at ease and pained.

Arin sighed. He couldn't leave him. Not even after that awkward moment.

Maybe he WAS overthinking this. It seemed obvious Dan was out of sorts, and like Arin last night, he said some stupid things too. They were both just out of it.

Arin stayed with Dan, leaning back on the wall as he glanced at the siren once more before falling asleep as well, hoping the hangover and all this would be a thing of the past soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. that won't be a thing of the past because this is an Egobang story too soooo XD  
> let's just hope for the best for these grumps, huh?


	15. Old Feelings

The pirate ship rocked violently on the ocean's waves as Arin squinted his eyes from the incoming rain. He held tightly to the helm, however with the heavy rain pouring down on him, his grip was slipping.

“Arin! Let’s just stop for the night!” Barry called, holding tightly to the mast.

"Well fuck, I would have done that a fucking hour ago! But this rain ain't having it!" Arin yelled back.

“Just throw the anchor down!” Barry replied.

"Alright, fine! Ross!" Arin said, coming down the deck to help Ross lift the heavy anchor into the ocean. Together, they dropped the anchor into the sea as the boat shifted violently on the waves.

Once they did this, they quickly headed inside as Ross shivered from the cold. "God, I hate the rain...." He mumbled.

"It's better than a tornado." Brian quipped, coming inside and rigging out the wet bandana that went over his mouth.

“We should check on Dan.” Barry shivered.

Arin, while wiping rain water off his jacket, nodded. "Yeah, we should."

"Is he doing any better?" Barry asked, putting on a dry shirt.

“He’s still recovering. But I haven't seen him wake up in a few days.” Ross frowned.

"Yeah...that hit was..." Arin sighed before he stopped himself.

Barry noticed this and lightly patted Arin's shoulder "Hey, it'll be alright."

Arin nodded, faintly smiling at Barry's reassurance.

Ross and Arin then headed to the bathroom, seeing Dan sleeping in the tub. Arin took a few steps forward, a bit relieved that he didn't seem in too much pain.

“I think we should replace his bandages with clean ones.” Ross said.

"Good idea."  Arin then bent down next to Dan, and gently unwrapped the bandage around his head, revealing the bright red gash near his forehead from Brian's bottle. Ross looked away as Arin bit his lip at the sight.

"Good God...." Arin whispered sadly.

“H-He’ll be ok.” Ross mumbled, rubbing his arm.

"Yeah..." Arin nodded, taking a new bandage as he began to rewrap Dan's injured head. It was a silent few minutes, all while Dan slept at ease as the bandages were being put in place.

“He’s a heavy sleeper.” Ross commented.

"Yeah I would have expected him to wake up or something by now." Arin said, a bit surprised himself.

“He’s probably just really tired.” Ross guessed.

Arin nodded back, stopping for a brief moment.

Arin found himself just looking at Dan's face, not making a move as he watched his breathing. It was light, and slow, and quiet. Arin could feel a hot flash go down his spine, and his cheeks mildly turned pink. What was this feeling?

"Uh...Arin?" Ross asked, breaking the silence.

Arin then snapped out of it a moment later "Huh? Uh...nothing. We-we should let him rest now..." 

Ross raised an eyebrow "You sure? You look like you got punched in the face."

"Yes, I'm fine..." Arin cleared his throat.

Ross didn't buy it but didn't pry  “A-Alright, well, we could make some lunch, we might be hungry later.” Ross suggested.

"Y-Yeah let's do that." Arin replied, getting up from his spot. 

The two then headed into the kitchen as they began to cook some crab. Barry was meanwhile reading out of a very used red book, mumbling to himself as he read.

Ross glanced over “You having fun?”

"Hm?" Barry muttered, his nose still stuck in the book.

“Nevermind.” Ross smiled.

"Whatcha reading, man? Some kinda actor's book or something?" Arin asked, cracking open the shell of a crab.

“S-Something like that.” Barry blushed.

"Here, let me see." Ross said, leaning over Barry's head to see the book.

“No-uh...I mean, I'd rather not.” Barry grumbled.

"Dude, I'm interested! What kinda book is it?" Ross asked, obstructing Barry's view.

“J-Just a dumb book, it’s boring.” Barry mumbled.

"Come on Ross, let the dude read." Arin motioned, as he tossed some crab into a skillet.

Ross gave up on it for now as Barry went back to reading in happiness. "Man, what's with him?" Ross whispered to Arin.

“He’s probably just shy. You do make fun of our tastes sometimes.” Arin pointed out.

"Well its not that I mean to." Ross shrugged.

“Just be nice, he gets insecure about reading sometimes.” Arin mumbled.

"Fine..." Ross replied, looking back at Barry, who still was very much absorbed in his book.

"I'm....gonna go check on Dan again." Ross said. 

"We just did." Arin replied.

"I know, I just wanna." Ross stated, going back down the hall towards the bathroom. 

"I'm not mean to Barry on purpose." Ross grumbled to himself "It's just teasing."

As he entered the bathroom, he was surprised to see Dan sitting up weakly, and placing a hand on his forehead. He looked dazed as he blinked slowly.

"Whoa, Dan! You're okay!" Ross said, as he came close and touched Dan's shoulder.

“Yeah…” Dan sighed, not feeling the best.

"God, I was kinda scared for you, dude. But I'm glad to see you up." Ross replied. 

Dan laid back again “Mhm.”

Ross grinned, hugging Dan lightly as the siren blinked tiredly and patted his back.

"You remember what happened?...I mean, I'd rather you not because...I was an ass..." Ross sighed, looking embarrassed as he let go.

“I remember everything.” Dan replied.

"Oh...lovely." Ross said, smacking his face with his hand.

“Not your fault, you were drunk.” Dan reasoned.

"Yeah, but...God I shouldn't have drunk so much, man..." Ross frowned.

“Live and learn.” Dan said.

Ross nodded "I suppose."

Dan lightly touched the bandages on his forehead "Great, with this shit again..."

"Don't worry, it's healing up since we got it wrapped up." Ross assured.

"How long was I out?" Dan asked.

"Uh...a few days. Arin was worried like nuts. So was Brian and Barry." Ross explained.

Dan looked down lightly "A few days..."

As he said this, Arin came into the room, blinking in surprise at Dan being awake. A huge wave of different emotions filled him; happiness, embarrassment, guilt, sadness, and some other weird sensation he couldn't describe.

Dan glanced at Arin “Sorry for worrying you.”

Arin looked down a bit as he blushed "Hey, it's....it's okay. The important thing is that you're alright."

“Right….just try not to be so sad.” Dan sighed.

"Alright...then I'll just be super annoying." Arin smiled mischievously as he giggled.

“Better than sad.” Dan smiled.

Arin felt good seeing Dan's smile again.

"You hungry, dude? We're frying some crab if you're up for it." Arin asked.

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” Dan admitted.

"Gotcha." Arin then ran out of the room, slightly slipping on the floor, as Ross grinned like a child.

“He’s excited…” Dan noted.

"He's like a puppy. It's so weird." Ross giggled.

“What’s a puppy?” Dan frowned.

Ross looked baffled for a moment, before he realized "Oh yeah, you haven't seen a puppy yet. Okay, wait until we make port somewhere, I'll find a puppy and show you."

“Sounds ok to me. Are they cute or something?” Dan replied.

"Unbelievably cute, dude." Ross commented.

"Then I'll probably like it." Dan giggled gently.

Arin then returned with two plates of cooked crab. "And here you are, my good sir. Freshly cooked crab straight from the kitchen." Arin said, bowing lightly as he handed Dan a plate.

Dan giggled at this as Arin blushed, his laugh was pretty cute.

“Thank you.” Dan smiled.

"Not at all." Arin replied.

Dan picked up one piece and bit into it with his sharp teeth. Arin then sat on the floor, criss crossing his legs "So, from what Brian said on deck, we got a good few hours before we make port again."

"Is it the one with the hot chicks?" Ross asked eagerly.

“You guys are animals.” Dan joked.

Ross mockingly gasped "What? No, how dare you sir? We are fine gentlemen of the seas, who plunder, pillage, don't give a shit, and date all the hot babes."

“You act like woman are some object.” Dan frowned.

"Well that's Ross's reasoning. Not mine." Arin protested.

"Oh yeah? And what about you, el Capitan?" Ross pouted.

Dan rolled his eyes, eating his crab in silence.

"Well for one, women are more than eye candy. They have personality and independence." Arin pointed out.

"Says the guy that wanted to date a girl for her boobs once." Ross frowned.

"Don't even, man." Arin looked angrily at Ross.

“Sounds like you two are like lady killers.” Dan snarked.

Ross blushed at the 'compliment'.

Arin however, looked a bit embarrassed "Uhh...well..."

Dan raised an eyebrow “What?”

"That is, I mean..." Arin muttered, as Ross frowned "What, Arin? Cat got your tongue?"

"No, its just that...no, never mind its stupid." Arin shook his head.

“Whatever it is Arin, I won’t judge you.” Dan reassured.

Arin rubbed his neck nervously. Should he tell what he wanted to tell?

"Alright... But before I say anything, not a word of this leaves this room. Got it....Ross?" Arin squinted at Ross, who sighed and nodded gently.

“Go ahead.” Dan urged.

Arin nervously took a breath before he began "Okay so...there was this one time, like...when I was still working as a younger guy, before I met Mark...and I saw this one guy, come into my boss's shop. And...I kinda thought he was...attractive? Like, I was kinda interested in him...but, I don't know..."

"Really?" Ross blinked.

"Yeah....just, I didn't know how to tell anyone. I mean, being interested in guys isn't usually a good thing these days." Arin sighed.

Dan blushed “S-So...d-d-do you like men?”

Arin's face grew red "I...I don't think I do?.."

“Oh...um...ok…” Dan mumbled, looking down. Ross, at a loss for words, looked concernedly at Arin.

"Well I mean...was that the only time you saw that guy?" Ross asked.

Arin nodded, as he sighed "Yeah...it was..."

Dan didn’t reply as he quietly ate his food, he seemed to be down or bothered.

"So, you might not?" Ross shrugged.

Dan glanced at Arin before looking back down at his plate.

"I...I guess not...I mean, I was like 15 when that happened...I was still young." Arin said lightly. "And you think some odd stuff at a young age."

“I’m not hungry.” Dan mumbled, handing the plate back to Arin.

Ross raised his eyebrows "You like barely ate it, dude....you alright?"

“Just...tired…” Dan lied.

"I would guess so, after last night, sleep's probably best." Arin said lightly.

Dan nodded back, looking saddened.

“I’m going back to sleep.” Dan said, settling down in the water as he shut his eyes.

Ross then got up and left the room as Arin followed. However, Arin paused before he left the room, and turned back to Dan. He felt like saying something to him as he opened his mouth. Dan was breathing softly, trying to go back to sleep. Arin took note and closed his mouth, finally leaving the room slowly.

Dan waited until they were gone to open his eyes and sigh sadly.

“Might as well give up on that then…” Dan whispered, trying to remain calm before he closed his eyes and quietly cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally an update! And right on the end of December! Talk about terrible timing! XD  
> Anyway, yes this is the start of something new (ha see what I did there) for Dan and Arin.  
> Music of choice for this chapter: Wiz Khalifa's See You Again on piano https://youtu.be/1Ek9YTQYgAk


	16. Words in the Night

The silence of night came after Ross and Arin had settled in for the evening. The ship's creaking and the sounds of waves would put most to sleep. Only not Arin. At least not tonight 

Laying in his bed as he gazed up at the ceiling, Arin let out a small sigh.

That talk and that old memory got him thinking, and soon it made him stressed beyond belief. He knew that Dan looked upset or bothered earlier; was it something he said? He had to have done something.

Arin was a mess of confusion, with everything. What did he say that upset Dan? Was it the story? Was it his talk with Ross?

Arin then remembered something Dan had told him a while back.

_"M-My...my name is Dan….”_

_"Okay, good. See, we're making progress."_

_“I...lure men away...to kill them or eat them..."_

Arin didn't think much of it from a moment until he suddenly realized it.

He lured MEN.

That had to be the answer!

Arin smacked his forehead “I’m so stupid.”

Of course Dan was quiet during the talk, he liked men. 

Arin sat up lightly, ruffling his hair. 

It was obvious what Arin had done.... He made Dan embarrassed about it. Obviously.

He must have thought they wouldn't accept him because of it.

That was silly though, they wouldn’t reject him simply because of his interests in the same sex.

Arin sighed heavily, realizing his mistake. He doubted Dan would be awake at this point though. But he needed to go and assure him; that they wouldn't judge him for his tastes.

Arin began to climb out of bed but stopped himself, seeing the moon shining in the peek of his window. He couldn't go now and talk to him, right? He'd only wake him; that'd be rude.

 "...Dammit..." Arin mumbled as he sat up, ruffling his locks again. He wanted to reassure Dan even if he had to wake him up. He had to.

Arin then stood up, and made his way to the bathroom, careful not to wake anyone on his walk down the hall. He soon made it to the bathroom, seeing Dan sleeping soundly with a hand resting on his stomach.

Arin suddenly regretted his decision to wake him, but then felt his conscience telling him to do the task.

Arin then went down to the sleeping siren, and lightly shook him and whispered "Psss...Dan?"

“Mmm...wha?” Dan groaned.

"I...I just wanted to say...I'm sorry." Arin replied lowly.

The siren blinked lightly. “For what?” Dan mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"For what I said before...about me, and the whole story about that guy...I didn't put into consideration about how you felt." Arin stated.

"Oh...uh..alright…” Dan mumbled.

"I mean...if I came off as being insensitive... I didn't mean it, honest." Arin frowned.

“I-It’s fine.” Dan yawned, ruffling his messy hair.

"It is?" Arin said.

"Yeah...of course..." Dan nodded.

"Okay...sorry for waking you too...I kinda wanted to tell you sooner than later." Arin blushed embarrassingly.

“Don’t worry about it, doesn’t matter.” Dan sighed.

Arin nodded, lightly standing up and turned to the door. Not before stopping and looking back "And...Dan?"

“What?” Dan replied.

"If you're into guys....I understand." Arin said.

The siren blushed gently, then sighed “There is no 'if'...I am.”

Arin looked a bit surprised but nodded "Well...alright then..."

Dan nodded as well, rubbing his arm gently. They had a moment of silence.

“See you tomorrow then..” Dan mumbled, settling back down in the water.

"Yeah....see ya..." Arin replied, before turning back to the door.

Once Arin was gone, Dan bit his lip as tears formed. Dan softly cried, longing for someone's comfort. He gently hugged himself as more tears fell, gently dropping into the water in the tub.

Dan then began to sing his song.

It wasn't as strong as before, and it gave off a haunting but somber sound to it.

As he sang, he could hear the very light sound of footsteps coming down the opposite side of hallway towards the bathroom. He kept with his sad song, knowing that he had lured someone. Until at last, a person came into view.

It was Barry, yawning as he clutched onto his old red book.

Dan looked up at him in surprise. He didn't expect Barry to come. “Uh...Hi Barry."

"Hey..." Barry yawned again "Y-You okay?"

Dan kept looking at him before he sniffled, tears forming “J-Just...comfort me...please.”

Barry nodded, as his spoke in a tired tone "What's wrong?"

“I...I...I feel rejected...I know none of this is gonna work out. It’s just the one goal I had, being taken away...I-I don’t know what to do with myself.” Dan whimpered.

Barry blinked. He was still incredibly tired, so whatever Dan meant, didn't exactly click in his sleepy mind. But what he did know, was Dan needed some comforting in one way or another.

Barry sat down softly onto the floor next to the tub "...I'm sorry you feel that way..."

“W-What’s the point anymore? I tried to hope f-f-for something…” Dan hiccuped while crying.

"Don't lose hope. You...have so much to offer. And...it'll all be okay..." Barry said softly.

“I-I...I can’t do it by myself anymore.” Dan sniffled.

"You're not alone...." Barry mumbled.

Dan's eyes grew foggy “J-Just...h-h-hug me please.” Dan requested.

Barry nodded, and then wrapped his arms around Dan, not batting an eye as his arms were soaked in water. Dan held him close, thankful to have someone to be with him right now.

"Things...will work out. And...you must never give up...on yourself or anything...the course...of true love...never did run smooth..." Barry mumbled poetically.

Dan looked at him gently “T-Thank you…” Dan replied.

The two let go after a while as Dan wiped away his tears. Barry still looked dazed as he asked "Did..that help?"

“Yeah...s-stay until I fall asleep...then go back to your room.” Dan replied.

Barry nodded, then leaned against the tub; taking slow and tired breaths. Dan laid back in the tub, trying to relax.

Barry blinked his eyes, slightly turning his head to the side, as he noticed that book he brought with him on the sink counter. Maybe something in there could help Dan.

Barry motioned his hand, reaching for the book, and lightly grasped it as he flipped the old pages. Dan heard the sounds, curious about these actions.

Barry then said in a low voice, as though he was on a stage. "Love can transpose... to form and dignity: Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind:.... Nor hath Love's mind of any judgement taste..."

As Barry read the book, Dan felt his eyelids flutter.

Barry continued softly "Wings and no eyes figure unheedy haste....and therefore is Love said to be a child....because in choice he is so oft beguiled."

Dan then felt himself drift off into sleep, breathing softly. Barry stopped a few moments later, and with that, took his book and walked out of the room, off to sleep and most likely not remember much of what happened the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay Barry and Dan bonding! Kinda lol  
> He might remember this *insert Telltale joke here*
> 
> ~this chapter is also in memory of my grandpa Thomas, who passed away a few days ago due to a brain aneurysm. I loved him so much, and he always believed that anyone, even me, could accomplish anything we set our minds to. He was a great friend, war veteran, fire fighter, a loving husband and wonderful grandfather. I'll miss him, and I'll strive to be the person he knew I could be. I love you pappy, thank you for always believing in me! <3~


	17. Sleepless

"See any ports, Brian?" Arin called from the helm, unsure of where they had ended up.

The crew had been sailing out for quite some time. In fact, it had been almost 5 days of non-stop sailing. Arin wanted to get to their next port before the month had been through, however due to some unknown circumstances (Ross), they had gotten the wrong directions to where they needed to be. And Arin had been painstakingly trying to find their way back;  which definitely had taken a huge toll on his crewman. Brian shook his head before yawning “Nope…..nothing.”

"Are you fucking serious, Arin?" Ross said annoyed as he rubbed his tired eyes.

"Well excuse me, Ross! I didn't know we had to go east!" Arin replied bitterly.

“I’m tireddddd.” Ross whined loudly.

“Well, suck it up, man! We've been delaying on getting to Port Caddy and I just to get there already!” Arin stated.

Barry then came up on deck, yawning as he joined Ross. Ross kept rubbing his eyes, whimpering “I wanna go to bed.”

"Look, the sooner we chart the right course, the sooner you can sleep, dude! Besides, I think we're close." Arin stated, before he turned the helm and made the crew fall back.

Ross merely stayed on the floor “I’m sleeping now, go away.”

"I second that..." Barry said, the bags under his eyes very clearly shown.

"Guys, come on! What'll make it better for you?" Arin called down.

“Nothing but sleep.” Ross complained.

Arin sighed, then looked down the deck, noticing someone was missing "Yo, where's Dan?"

“I don’t know or care.” Ross whined. Arin frowned, looking back to the deck. His concern grew more as he kept staring. He hadn't seen the siren in a while, and it made him a little upset.

Arin sighed again, finally saying "Brian, hold my post, okay?"

Brian jumped down from the mast, nodding slowly.

"Also, if they keep sleeping....move the boat around a bit, that'll give them an energy boost." Arin snickered as he went down the deck.

Brian blinked, not really paying attention as he leaned against the helm tiredly.

Arin went downstairs and walked towards the bathroom, tilting his head in the doorframe. Dan was sleeping soundly with his hand resting on his stomach.

Arin sighed in relief, seeing that nothing was wrong at least.

He stood at the frame a bit longer; either because he was a bit tired himself or he just liked to see Dan sleeping peacefully. It was serene and tranquil. And kinda nice.

Arin thought back to what he told Dan. That he, even if Dan liked guys, wouldn't judge. But to be honest...what was there to judge? Arin went through something like that before, so the two weren't so different on the topic.

It just….made Arin think. Not specifically on the fact Dan liked men, but… if Arin did.

He shook his head. He needed to get back on the deck.

Arin turned back to head to the helm. When he got back, he saw Barry and Ross snoring loudly on the deck, with Brian groggingly steering. "Are you- FUCK. Brian, what did I say?" Arin frowned.

Brian blinked, facing Arin with a dazed look. He wasn’t paying attention to his words at all.

Arin began to become irritated as he took the helm "The hell is up with you guys? Is everyone besides me like in a fucking dream?"

Brian rubbed his temples “I haven’t slept in days, you asshole.”

"Well, why don't you?" Arin asked.

“Because you’re always telling me to do things.” Brian sighed.

“So? I tell everyone to do stuff! We need to get to the port asap, man.” Arin replied.

“Arin, look around you! You're running us ragged!” Brian snapped.

“It's not my fault Ross gave us faulty directions!” Arin huffed.

“Are you fucking serious? That doesn't excuse you making us your pack mules!  Mark wouldn't do this as captain! ” Brian barked.

Arin paused, turning back to the two guys asleep on the deck. Ross and Barry were both snoring; both had purple lines under their eyes. They were even slumped on the floor in uneasy balls. Brian didn't look any good either; even the assassin looked completely drained.

Mark wouldn't do this. Not at all.

Arin blinked, then looked down "...Well...I....I'm sorry. I-I..."

“You can’t force your crew to do anything they’re not prepared for. And right now...we’re fucking exhausted.” Brian explained.

Arin rubbed his neck, as he glanced at the two sleeping crewman on deck. It never occurred to him how much he made them do. Now that it was plain as day, he blushed in embarrassment.

“Arin...just let us take a break.” Brian grumbled.

Arin nodded slowly "Yeah...alright...go and take a breather, man..."

“I’ll drag dumb and dumber.” Brian sighed, walking down to the deck and picking up the two with ease.

Arin took the helm again, sighing heavily as he rubbed his eyes. "Goddammit....what am I doing..."

Even he was exhausted and had forgotten how much he needed sleep.

"What kind of fucking captain am I? I'm such a dick..." He said to himself defeatingly.

Arin sighed sadly, trying to focus on steering but failed. He eventually decided to lower the anchor for now and get some rest in.

As he walked back to the deck, he felt an eerie sensation come over him for a split second, like something was watching him.

“Hello?” Arin whispered.

Arin looked back, as he scanned the empty deck. Nothing entered his vision, as he took a moment and resumed his walk downstairs. He must be more tired than he thought.

However, from a rock not far from the ship, a siren with red glowing eyes watched threateningly at the captain. She moved her black and blonde hair out of her face, a look of pure anger overcame her.  

The younger siren who came along with her swam up to her side “What now, Suzy?”

"Patience, Kevin...they have Dan in there, and from their behavior, they don't seem the kind to let him go anytime soon..." Suzy hissed.

“He must be scared…” The young siren frowned.

"We need to watch them...then wait for the right moment to strike. They won't know what hit them." Queen Suzy explained.

“You sure?” Kevin whimpered.

"Kevin, we never leave our kind. Especially when they're captured in the hands of grubby humans like them. We should try something, what do you suggest?" Suzy asked, bending down towards him.

“Um….maybe not go into the bad parts of the water.” Kevin shivered.

Suzy nodded "It would be dangerous for us...who knows what kind of things are in there..."

“Yeah.” The young siren agreed.

"Let's watch them until they reach the dangerous waters. Then we decide what to do from there...Dan's life hangs in the balance." The queen siren sighed sadly.

  
With that, the sirens moved back to the cove to rest. However, they’d stay on guard for a long time before then. Suzy and Kevin had to save Dan, no matter what the cost.


	18. Prison Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Note: this and the next few chapters are in the past! We're getting some background on a few crewmembers and other characters as well! Woooooo)

Arin slumped against the brick walls of his jail cell, watching intensively at the passing jailer. He had gotten himself in trouble, what a shock, and now was stuck in prison with nothing but his wits and confidence. However both were becoming scarce. 

Beside him was one of his partners in crime, who had the unfortunate luck of getting himself in this mess with Arin. 

“So….do we wait it out or what?” The guy asked. 

Arin bit his lip “One of us is gonna have to distract the guard while the other gets his keys.” 

“Oh, and I'm to assume the distraction is gonna be me?” The guy snarked.

“Probably, yeah.” Arin shrugged.

“Geez Arin, think better on how to NOT get yourself caught stealing jewelry next time.” The guy sighed. 

“Sorry, man. Pirate. Remember?” Arin grinned. 

His friend rolled his eyes as Arin leaned up on the iron bars of their pen.

“Maybe this was too big of us?” Arin's friend said. 

“No, you kidding? We were starting small. It would have been worse if it was a TRUNK of jewelry instead of just a few necklaces.” Arin replied.

“Well, we're still stuck.” The man sighed. 

Arin patted his back lightly “Come on, man. We'll get out.” 

“Yeah, on our 90th birthdays.” The friend mumbled. 

“Relax Mark, we'll think of something.” Arin shrugged nonchalantly. 

Mark looked unimpressed. 

Suddenly the two heard sounds of the jailor's keys jiggling as they prepared to execute the plan. “Oh, sir! Um…” Mark began, making the jailor come close. 

“I...wanted to ask your honest opinion if...see...uhhh..” Mark mumbled nervously; Arin leaned on the bars to grab the jingling keys off the jailor's back pocket. 

“What, boy? Speak!” The jailor ordered. 

Mark froze “Uh...y-yes sir, umm...would you...if you were given a choice...between being in this job forever, or being off somewhere doing what you'd like, w-what would you pick?” 

The jailor looked at him before he tapped his chin in thought, unaware of Arin barely inches away from the keys. 

“Well...I wouldn't want to be in one place too long…” the jailor began, with a thick Irish accent. 

"Of course.” Mark nodded.

Arin stretched his arm out more; his entire body was up against the bars.

“And I'm sure Mum would be terribly worried…” the jailor continued.

“Oh absolutely.” Mark urged. 

Arin got a hold of one key. 

“But I like m’job here, it's not bad, it pays good…” the jailor rambled. 

“Right.” Mark grinned. 

“I guess...I'd go with being somewhere I liked.” The jailor decided. 

Mark noticed out of the corner of his eye that Arin wasn't finished yet “Uh, which, would be where exactly?” 

Arin took a yank at the key, that made the entire chain fall onto the floor, clanking loudly as it landed. 

Mark and Arin froze as the jailor turned his head towards Arin. Suddenly they heard a loud bang as the jailor fell forward and out cold on the floor.

"Wha..." 

Arin and Mark blinked as they saw a boy, a few years younger than them both, with messy light brown hair, brilliant blue eyes, and soot and mud all over. 

The kid held up a wooden stool and looked at the two pirates inquisitively. 

Mark mumbled “Whoa.” 

The boy grabbed the keys and unlocked their jail cell as the three of them began to sprint down the halls.

"Shit, they might call for backup!" Arin said as Mark grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him behind a wall. He held his finger to his mouth, as footsteps echoed down the hall. They glanced over to see the boy signalling them to stay still. At least three guards came running past the corridors, followed by the angry jailor with a bump to his head and yelling out Irish words none of the boys could understand.

Once they were out of sight, the boys ran straight for the gates.

They then reached the clearing; Arin while breathing heavily said “T-Thanks kid.”

The boy nodded, then jumped up into a window and disappeared. 

“Wha- wait! Kid?” Mark called, but the boy was gone. 

“Mark, c'mon we gotta go.” Arin urged, pulling Mark by his shirt sleeve. 

Mark frowned but followed Arin as the two bolted out of the prison as fast as they could. 


	19. The Streetrat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This, the last chapter, and the next ones are in the past!   
> Last chapter, Mark and Arin were stuck in prison before a mysterious boy gets them out. Who's the boy? You'll find out...

“Man, that was close!” Arin grinned, patting Mark on the shoulder. The two had narrowly escaped the prison, and now were enjoying their freedom as they strolled the streets of town.  


Mark smirked “You act as though you’re the one who got us out.” 

“Well I basically did. If I hadn't of gotten the guard to turn around.” Arin replied. 

“You mean when you dropped the keys.” Mark scoffed. 

“Oh alright fine, I clumsily distracted the guard so the dude that got us out could set us loose.” Arin sighed. 

“Yeah...who was that?” Mark blinked. 

“I don't even know, man. He's nobody I've seen.” Arin replied. 

Mark frowned a bit, wondering who that mystery Samaritan was. 

"One thing's for sure though, kid was agile as fuck." Arin noted.

"He must be a thief." Mark said.

Arin turned "Yeah...probably..."

Mark sighed, tapping his chin. 

“Arin...do you think maybe just us being a duo might not be the best thing for us?” 

Arin blinked “...We're not breaking up, are we?” 

“Wh-No! Of course not.” Mark objected. 

Arin sighed in relief as Mark chuckled “What I mean is, we might need another partner.”

Arin tapped his chin “Uh...we're kinda low on good fighters around here. And I highly doubt any thugs would wanna work with us.” 

"No I mean, maybe that-"

As if on queue, a figure came zipping past Arin and Mark, making them both freeze. 

“Hey, get back here!!” A loud angry voice called, as two tough looking guys came dashing after the culprit. 

Mark blinked to see the same messy brown hair he saw from before while the boy vanished behind a building. 

“Arin that's him!” Mark said, starting to chase after him.

“Wh-fuck! Mark!” Arin called, running quickly after him. 

They made their way through the marketplace, dodging carts and stands before they spotted the boy again; turning a corner and hiding in a barrel. The two thugs who were after him were baffled at his sudden disappearance. 

“Where'd he go?!” One growled. 

Mark and Arin scurried behind a cart as they watched. 

“He's bound to be here…” The second guy said in a low voice. He scanned the alleyway, before going down the next street with his buddy in tow. 

Once they were gone, Mark saw the boy peek out from the barrel and grin. 

The boy climbed out of the barrel, holding a small bag in his hands. 

"Ha ha, think you couldn't be outsmarted by me, huh you dicks?" The boy teased, smiling triumphantly at his prize.

Mark then stood up, as Arin watched him in curiosity. 

"Dude, what are you doing?" Arin whispered.

Mark shushed him softly before turning over to the boy.

“H-Hey kid.” Mark said, making the boy stiffen. He looked ready to bolt.  


"Whoa whoa, wait. It's okay..." Mark soothed.

The kid blinked at him, looking to be trying to remember Mark from somewhere. “Y-You're that guy from the jail.” 

“Yeah, uh...I'm Mark.” He offered his hand to the boy who looked at it carefully, his big blue eyes wide.

“Come on, it's just a handshake.” Mark giggled, as the boy slowly shook it. 

“W-Where’s your friend?” the boy asked. 

“Here!” Arin peeked out from his hiding place. 

“Oh. Um, hi.” The boy muttered. 

“That's my buddy, Arin.” Mark stated. 

The boy nodded as Arin approached. The boy looked slightly nervous, maybe thinking these guys would attack him at any moment.  


“We were hoping to catch up with you. Didn't get a chance to thank you for busting us out.” Mark said. 

The boy blinked “T-Thank me? Wow, I...don't usually hear people thank me.” The boy smirked. 

“Well, thanks. You did pretty good back there.” Arin stated. 

The boy grinned “I did, didn't I?” 

Mark giggled as Arin rolled his eyes “Okay, you were good, but not that good. I'm usually the best.” 

“Oh really? I saw your moves by the way. But I think dropping the keys was a bit of a risky new way to escape.” The boy teased, making Mark laugh out loud. 

Arin pouted gently and crossed his arms. 

“I like this kid.” Mark giggled, as the boy snickered. 

Arin sighed “So, whats in the bag, hotshot?” 

The boy instantly frowned “Nothing.”

“Oh come on, we're pirates, man. We wanna see if you got any treasure in there.” Arin replied.

“Pirates?...for real?” The boy’s eyes lit up. 

“Yeah, really. For real.” Mark grinned. 

“...How do I know you're both like, undercover police or something?” The boy frowned, holding back the bag. 

Arin and Mark exchanged looks as Mark said “Well you DID spring us out of a jail cell. And if we're police, you'd probably be shackled by now.”  

The boy looked at them inquisitively again, then opened the bag open and showed the two. 

“Whoa…” Mark blinked.

Inside the bag lay a huge assortment of jewelry and rings, glittering and gleaming. The boy grinned to himself. 

“Man, how did you get all that?!” Arin gasped. 

The boy put a finger to his lips “Ross doesn't give away his secrets.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome cute lil streetrat Ross! WOO!


	20. Changing the Status Quo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (The last two chapters and the next ones are in the past!  
> Previously, Arin and Mark were captured until a mysterious kid sets them loose. Turns out it was little streetrat Ross, and now the boys have their chance to persway him to join their team)

Ross sat crisscrossed on the floor, biting his apple as he watched Arin and Mark converse. They had found a small abandoned shed to talk in; Mark and Arin then gave their business proposition to the young thief. 

“So, you guys started a pirate group. And you want me, to join you?” Ross asked.

 Mark shrugged “That's the general idea.” 

“We have a little boat for now, but we've been getting some goods to buy a big ol’ motherfucking ship.” Arin explained. 

Ross asked in-between chews “You guys anywhere near your goal?” 

Mark shook his head slowly “We have a long way to go. Ships don't come cheap.”

 Arin paced around the room “We think, maybe someone of your….talents, could help us out.” 

Ross crossed his arms “I'm listening.” 

“You’re obviously a master thief.” Mark pointed out. 

Ross shrugged “I mean, I kinda am. But its mostly just for...you know...living.” 

Arin then bent down to Ross “Which is why you should join us, dude.” 

Ross raised an eyebrow “It's tempting. But how are you two sure this'll work out? And not with…” 

“Our heads in a guillotine?” Arin replied. 

“Exactly.” Ross said. 

Mark bit his lip, then lightly shrugged “I mean, there's no real way of knowing. But, I don't think we’ll meet your fates that way.”

 “You don't think, but it could.” Ross pointed out. 

“The point is, Ross. We could use your help. And, you could join in our adventure.” Arin said. 

Ross sighed “I mean...I'm a sucker for adventure. But, isn’t it too risky? You have your lives to lose.” 

Arin nodded as Mark adjusted his glasses “Ross...don't you ever wish things would be different than how they are now?” Mark said. 

Ross blinked at this as he lightly nodded. 

“Well, me and Arin...we didn’t want to have our lives go in the same direction forever. We wanted to try something new. Something that'll make us remembered.” Mark explained. 

“R-Remembered?” Ross asked. 

“What we were before, anyone could fill that role. The norm is overrated, and once your gone, someone takes your place and the system continues. Why waste your life being in one place? Becoming just the next in line? When you can always be something you never expected yourself to be? And be remembered as being the one who defied the status quo.” Mark sighed. 

Ross thought about this, looking lightly at the floor. 

“We want to be known. Known for being more than a blacksmith’s son and a farmhand.” Arin muttered. 

Ross looked up at them, eyes wide open. 

“But you could be more too, Ross. I know you can.” Mark said. 

Ross blinked “...Yeah…”  

Arin began “Think of it, you'll be sailing the big blue sea, with jewels by the plently, plundering, excitement, hot chicks galore…” 

Ross tapped his chin “Well….I do likes me the ladies.” 

Arin giggled as Mark laughed out loud. “So are you in?” Mark questioned.

 Ross took a solid moment of thought, before excitingly standing up and grinning wide 

“I'm in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so little Ross joined up!! Welcome to the D-Cruiser crew, Scrublord :3


	21. Little Fish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (The last three chapters and this one are in the past!)  
> (Previously was Ross's backstory, now its time for another "person" to tell their..."tail"...haha sorry I'll stop now. Enjoy!)

It was a gloomy day out on the sea, no ships or boats in sight. By the coves of one of the many islands afloat, laid a small siren girl, looking no more than 9 or 10, basking on the beach with her eyes closed.

 She loved this time of the day, even if the sun's rays weren't breaking out of the clouds; just the feeling of moist water in the air and the cool ocean breeze gave her so much comfort. 

She could stay there forever.

 “Suzy?” A voice broke the silence. 

The siren sighed a bit, sitting upright as she opened her eyes. Moving lightly on the cove, a short little siren boy, maybe 7 or 8 with crazy curly hair, came crawling over. 

“Hey Danny.” The siren girl greeted, placing the loose blonde streak of her black hair behind her ear. 

“Suzy, I'm hungry.” Danny stated, his big blue and green eyes blinked delicately.

 “Well go and get some mussles, you silly.” Suzy giggled. 

“They're too hard to open!” Danny protested, showing her the mussle in his hands. He tried to pull it open, even making little grunts, but unfortunately it wouldn't open for him. 

Suzy smiled “Here, let me show you.” 

She gently took the mussle in her hand and tapped it on a rock. She then was able to pull the mussle apart with ease. 

Danny's eyes grew wide “Whoa…” 

“See? That's the trick, you gotta tap it first. It kinda loosens its grip.” Suzy explained, handing Danny the opened mussle.  He gratefully took it and began to eat it. He smiled wide “Thanks Sissy. You're good at this.” 

“Nay, I'm not that good...well, I'm pretty good though.” Suzy giggled. 

Danny giggled in return as he finished the mussle. “So whatcha gonna do now?” Danny asked. 

Suzy shrugged and laid back on the sand “I was just gonna nap, maybe watch the clouds.” 

“Can I watch ‘em with you?” Dan said, coming over to her side. 

Suzy smirked “I thought you were hungry.” 

“I only wanted the one.” Danny giggled lightly.

“Oh alright.” Suzy rolled her eyes playfully, as Danny settled himself on the warm sand next to her. 

He blinked up at the sky, looking at the scattered clouds ahead. 

“That looks like a whale.” Danny pointed to a large blob of clouds. 

“Nay, that's a...blowfish.” Suzy replied. 

“No, see the tail? It's bigger.” Danny protested. 

“Well I still think it's a blowfish. Or a whale with a full belly.” Suzy joked. 

Danny smiled “Okay, what’s that one?” 

“Uhh...a manta ray?” Suzy tilted her head; the clouds were a little complicated to decipher. 

“I see a seagull.” Danny said. 

“Then it's a seagull I guess.” Suzy shrugged. 

“You gotta know what it is, don't you?” Danny asked. 

“Not all the time, sometimes you gotta just go with your gut.” Suzy explained.

 “Like...like how we stayed here?” Danny questioned. 

Suzy paused and blinked at the sky.  “It...it wasn't safe over in the East.” 

“But you're gonna be the queen, don't ya...get a say in where you live?” Danny replied as Suzy sighed. “I'm not the queen yet...but we gotta listen to the rules of the queen, she's the one in charge.” 

“But what about…” Danny began.

 “Danny, sometimes we just gotta do as we're told. We might not like the stuff we gotta do, but it's important we do. It's good for everyone.” Suzy sighed. 

“Not for you, though.” Danny said. 

Suzy looked at him and frowned “Yeah...not for me. But I don't wanna be worried about me. I wanna worry about you. And when I grow up, I gots to worry about all the other sirens. They got kids, and I don't want them to get hurt. Especially you.”

Danny sighed “You don't have to be worried about me, Sissy.” 

“But I wanna. You're my little brother. My little fish.” Suzy giggled, ruffling Dan's messy hair. Dan giggled back, trying to playfully swat Suzy's hand from his locks. 

“And I know you'll be big enough to do stuff without me. Like open mussles or something.” Suzy smiled. 

“Yeah.” Danny grinned, swishing his little blue tail around in the sand. 

“Will you miss me helping you though?” Suzy teased. 

“Nay, I'll be big and strong! Then you'll be asking ME to do stuff for you.” Danny replied, as Suzy laughed happily. “I can't wait for that.” 

Suzy laid back on the sand, letting her laugh wear out as she blinked at the sky. 

Then she woke up.

 

~~~

 

“Suzy?” Kevin blinked, sitting up from his sleeping position on the sand. 

Suzy sat up quickly, trying to keep her breathing calm. Her hair fell over her face; she felt drops of water on her cheeks.

“You okay?” Kevin asked tiredly, rubbing his eyes. 

Suzy nodded slowly “Y-Yes...yes I'm okay…” 

“What was it? A bad dream?” Kevin guessed. 

“No, more like...a memory…” Suzy sighed, pulling her purple tail to her chest and wrapping her arms around it. She looked out at the sea; it was deep blue like the moonlit sky. 

Kevin crawled over to her, his expression blurry from the darkness of the night “You wanna talk about it?” 

Suzy sniffled “Just...just about Dan…” 

“Oh...H-Hey, he'll be okay, we'll get him out.” Kevin assured, patting her shoulder. 

Suzy sighed “Yeah...I hope so. Thank you Kevin.”

Kevin smiled as Suzy ruffled his black hair. “You wanna try and sleep again?” Kevin asked. 

Suzy nodded “Yes, it…it’s smarter to sleep than just staying up.” 

Kevin nodded, going back to his spot on the sandbed. “Night Suzy.” He muttered. 

Suzy blinked “Night Kevin…” 

She looked back at the sea. The ship her brother was on was docked in the distance. She blinked, more tears coming as she let out a shaky breath. 

“I'll save you Danny...I promise I will…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends the backstory chapters (for now at least)!  
> You're probably wondering about Brian and Barry, rest assured they'll be revealed in time. For now though, time to pick up from where we left off! Let's get back to the action!


	22. Discovery

The day seemed like any other; the seas were gentle and calm while the D-Cruiser floated on its top. Barry and Ross, bored and finished with their share of today's work, conversed on deck.

"So then I'm like, how are you gonna take the chest down the stairs? And he says he'll carry, then I go..." Barry mumbled to Ross as he leaned up against the mast. 

“Barry, does this story have a point?” Ross sighed. 

"Not really, I just wanted something to talk about." Barry shrugged. 

Ross let out an annoyed groan.  “God I’m bored!” Ross whined. 

"Well, not much we can do about that, dude. Not unless you can get us to port faster." Barry sighed. 

"More like if Arin got us there faster." Ross mumbled.

Barry then looked up to the helm; he could see Arin steering but much slower than usual. He yawned lightly as he kept going, which didn't exactly give Barry or Ross comfort.

“He looks like a storm rolled in.” Ross noted. 

"Yeah...is he sleeping? He doesn't look it..." Barry whispered. 

"I know. Man, he must be keeping himself up again." Ross frowned.

"Usually Brian's around to keep him from doing that." Barry said.

“Where IS Brian? He’s normally up by now…” Ross mumbled. 

"Come on, let's check." Barry motioned Ross to follow as they went down the stairs of the deck. 

Once they made their way down the hall, they came to Brian's door at the end of the hallway.

The two had never been in Brian’s room before so this was sort of scary. 

Ross turned "S-Should we really go in there?"

"Come on, it...it can't be that bad." Barry sighed.

Barry gently turned the knob as he and Ross peeked inside.

"His room is a lot darker than I thought..." Barry frowned. 

“Yeah…” Ross shivered. 

Barry walked in slowly; the room was like a dark cavern. The one port window was closed and covered with a long drape, making it very difficult to see.

"Remind me again why he gets a creepy ass room to himself?" Ross whispered.

"Why do you and I have rooms? Would you rather be cramped in sleeping quarters on hammocks?" Barry pointed out.

Ross shook his head as they kept going inside. Barry turned his head  then froze when he noticed the wall of weapons next to him. Spears, knives and katanas all hung menacingly on the wall along with ten or twenty different types of fighting equipment they've either never seen or didn't want to say were there. 

Ross cowered behind him "P-Private inventory..."

Barry nodded gently; shivers went down both their spines.

“Creepy…” Ross mumbled.

"You're telling me..." Barry agreed, as the two kept going. 

They then spotted Brian laying on his bed, stomach down as he snored loudly. 

"Whoa..." Barry's eyes grew wide. 

"So this is where this fucker's been. Sleeping his ass off." Ross grumbled.

"Ross, come on." Barry rolled his eyes.

Ross shrugged as he sighed. he then noticed something.

“Hey...he took his scarf off…” 

Barry bent down, seeing that Ross was right. 

Brian was no longer masked. 

Barry looked surprised "This is weird...I mean...I don't think I've ever really seen him without that mask on." 

“Same here...but still...why isn’t he hearing us? Isn’t he like...super trained to not let his guard down?” Ross shrugged.

"No way...he...whoa, he's out like a light, Ross..." Barry tapped his shoulder, however the assassin didn't move a muscle. 

"I-Is he okay?" Ross whispered.

Barry knelt down and checked Brian's pulse. Thankfully he was still breathing in his sleep. "Yeah, he's fine."

Ross sighed in relief "Oh good..."

"Yeah..." Barry replied.

"Do you think maybe we should leave him to sleep?" Ross asked.

"I-I don't know. It's  really weird to see him sleep this much..." Barry said.

“Didn’t Brian say he was exhausted?” Ross blinked.

"Oh shit, he did...that's why he's still asleep..." Barry gently tapped him once more, but Brian still didn't wake up.

“Well that and he’s got these.” Ross said, showing Barry a small bottle.

Barry's eyebrows raised, taking the bottle as he examined it on the inside. He saw some strange looking leaves that gave off an unusual smell to them. Pulling one out, he looked them over.

"...Kava leaves?" Barry guessed.

"What are those?" Ross asked.

"They're usually used to help with sleeping but...there's more than one should usually have." Barry frowned. Barry tiled the bottle for Ross to see.

“Wonder how many he took.” Ross mumbled.

"Hopefully not too many to hurt him..." Barry sighed. 

"How many is too many?" Ross raised an eyebrow.

“Well two is the normal amount to take in a day, but there looks...like he's been taking more than that amount." Barry bit his lip.

"He must be extremely sleep deprived to take so many..." Ross said.

"If he's tired enough to rest this long...he must have taken some more." Barry wondered. 

“Barry...what if he gets addicted?” Ross frowned. 

Barry looked gravely at Brian, as the assassin slept. 

"I...I don't know. Hopefully not..."

“Barry, Brian might take more of these if he wakes up.” Ross whispered. 

"Should we...take them from him?" Barry asked.

“We should give them to Arin…” Ross advised. 

"Yeah...he IS the captain after all...alright, come on, let's take this stuff with us." Barry said, walking quickly and quietly out of the room with Ross following behind. Brian turned over in his sleep, making moans and groans as he slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh brian, whatcha been up to?
> 
> also I doubt anyone will catch it, but Barry's conversation at the beginning of the chapter is actually a reference to Caboose's first opening lines from Red vs Blue. just a lil joke there. if you caught that, high five from me :3


	23. Making Waves

_**"Hey...what's up guys..."** _

_ “Arin, w-we found these in Brian’s room...the guy’s out like...seriously out.”  _

_**"Has...has he been taking this stuff?"** _

_ "We think so, yeah." _

_ “The bottle is nearly empty…” _

_ "We thought it'd be best if you held onto it."  _

_ "Arin...we think he might be addicted." _

 

Arin lightly took the bottle from Ross's hand, looking very upset as he studied the leaves inside.

“You think he’ll notice they’re gone?” Ross mumbled. 

Arin sighed "It's pretty plausible...but, maybe the leaves will keep him from noticing right away." 

“He did look out of it….he could be weird when he wakes up.” Ross replied. 

Arin nodded "Alright, I'll keep these with me..." 

Barry and Ross exchanged looks as Barry said "Arin, have you been sleeping at all?"

"I mean...kinda. But not really." Arin mumbled.

“Why not take a break? We can take over.” Ross suggested. 

"I-I guess... we make port pretty soon. You guys can steer till then?" Arin asked. 

“Sure.” Barry nodded. 

"Alright, I'll be back..." Arin replied lowly, taking  the bottle and gripping it tightly as he went downstairs. As he walked, his mind was in loops. What would he do now? 

He glanced down at the bottle "God...how the hell didn't I know this..." 

He should have known. Why didn't he know about this before it got out of hand? Well, it wasn't exactly his business but- no, it was! Brian's welfare was on the line; who knows how dangerous those leaves were if he took too many. But one thing irked Arin more than just Brian's apparent addiction; if Brian and him were so close...why wouldn't he tell him about this? Was their friendship not strong enough for this kind of information? Did Brian even really trust Arin as a captain, or even a friend?  Arin's confidence began to shrivel, making him feel seasick and woozy.

Arin walked down the hall and stopped at the bathroom, seeing Dan was brushing his hair while laying in the tub. He was humming a little song to himself as he sat there.

"Lookin' faboo, Dan." Arin joked quietly. 

Dan giggled in response “Thank you.” 

Arin nodded, leaning up against the doorframe. He looked and felt incredibly stressed, but tried his best to hide it from Dan. 

"You doing okay?" Dan asked.

"Yeah, why?" Arin said.

“You look like hell blew over.” Dan commented. 

"Just...stuff, man. There's a lot to deal with." Arin sighed. 

“Tell me then.” Dan prompted, still brushing his hair. 

"You wanna hear me ramble on for like a good hour?" Arin giggled. 

“I have nothing else to do.” Dan sighed. 

Arin smiled gently, ruffling his hair.

"Alright, but only because you asked." 

The captain then walked over and sat next to Dan on the floor,  handing him the bottle. Dan immediately frowned.

“Gross.” Dan hissed. 

"Yeah. Apparently our lovely little assassin friend has been taking those for God knows how long. And he could be taking more than he needs to." Arin sighed heavily. 

"Why?" Dan questioned.

"For sleep maybe? But, dude...he didn't even tell me." Arin said.

"Maybe he was embarrassed to. Or he thought it'd be better that way." Dan suggested.

"I wouldn't be embarrassed. Hell, I'd be glad he told me. But he didn't. Now...I don't even know." Arin sighed.

“Well it's good you got them when you did; these leaves are considered poison to my kind.” Dan said. 

"Oh well that just makes these all the better..." Arin mumbled. 

“It happened once a long time ago to another siren. He never woke up.” Dan replied. 

Arin looked gravely at Dan "You don't think the same could happen to Brian, right?" 

“Brian is human, there’s no telling. But we are weaker to human medicine. Most of them do horrible things.” Dan explained.

"Like...what for example?" Arin asked.

"Well...some types of flowers make us go a little loopy. Nothing bad though. The ones you gotta worry about are the other types of leaves they use for medicine. Some give us hallucinations, others mess with our lungs or our abilities to swim..." Dan explained.

"What about these?" Arin gestured to the kava leaves.

"That's...kind of a mystery. All I know is that you don't wake up from them." Dan frowned.

"Shit. So my friend could be dying from any one of those things. Great. Look, I know, I know, the anatomy is different from humans and sirens, but this fucking stuff he was taking..." Arin groaned, resting his head in his hand. 

“You worry too much.” Dan replied, brushing his hair some more. 

"No dude...I don't worry enough. I'm the captain, I should know these things." Arin sighed. 

“You can’t know everything, you’re just one person.” Dan reasoned. 

"Yes, but...I should be able to know about this sort of thing. And how my crew feel. Especially when I work them like mules, and they won't even talk to me about what wrong with them." Arin frowned. 

"Maybe talking to them might help." Dan said.

"I know, I'm just...not used to doing that. Mark knew how to talk to anyone on the spot." Arin replied.

"You can't compare yourself to Mark so much; you're you, not him." Dan stated.

"Yeah. And me...is a shitty captain." Arin mumbled. 

“You’re living and learning, no one is perfect on their first try.” Dan sighed.

Arin looked up at Dan "I just... I don't wanna let them down...I promised myself I wouldn't do that to them..." 

“If you were letting them down then they’d be turning against you. They respect you and know you’re trying.” Dan smiled.

"Yeah...I...I need to work on doing better though. I owe it to them..." Arin replied. 

“You’re doing fine. Honest." Dan assured. He then gently patted Arin's shoulder as the captain looked up at him. "I wouldn't be saying that if it weren't true, Arin."

Arin blinked, feeling his neckhairs stand up for some reason. He smiled softly "T-Thanks Dan..."

"No problem. But, I'm gonna also be honest... You look like hell right now.” Dan said. 

Arin snickered gently "Well...maybe I should fix that." 

“Oh?” 

"Yeah, either I take a hot bath, or put on pounds of makeup like those ladies in Tortuga do." Arin grinned, then laughed loudly.

“A bath sounds good but sleep is better for you.” Dan smiled.

"Yeah you're right..." Arin then paused for a moment, and looked at Dan blankly. 

“...What?” Dan frowned.

"Uhh...yeah...you...would you mind if I...dude, you got the only bathtub." Arin blushed bright red. 

“Oh...OH!" Dan's face grew red as well "I-I'm sorry I-"

Arin giggled nervously "No no. It's fine. But...uh...would you mind hanging outside while I clean up in here?" 

“Sure...um...if you could help me out that is…” Dan mumbled, his deep blue tail moving a bit in the water. 

"You probably only weigh like a pillow, right? You can't be that heavy." Arin said, standing then rolling the wagon from the hallway into the bathroom. 

“Well I’m not sure...I’m fairly skinny.” Dan noted, meekly poking his ribs. 

"Alright, let's see how much you weigh then."

Arin then scooped Dan up in his arms, grunting a bit and blushing like crazy. 

"Oh Go-" Dan gasped, clenching onto Arin's shirt as he was lifted up,  blushed heavily as he looked at the captain. 

Arin met eyes with Dan.

"I..I-I'm not hurting you, right?" 

“No….” Dan whispered, heart beating rapidly. 

"O-Okay, uhh...give me a sec..." Arin lightly walked towards the wagon, wheeling it over with his foot so it was underneath Dan. 

Dan nodded, still clenching onto Arin's shirt. He could faintly feel Arin's heartbeat underneath it. It was just as fast as his heart.

Dan kinda wanted to stay in Arin’s arms, maybe just a little longer. 

But then he recalled Arin's words from the talk with Ross.

 

_ "...Just, I didn't know how to tell anyone. I mean, being interested in guys isn't usually a good thing these days." _

_ “S-So...d-d-do you like men?” _

_ "I...I don't think I do?... _ _ I...I guess not...I mean, I was like 15 when that happened...I was still young. And you think some odd stuff at a young age." _

 

He wasn’t interested.

"Alright...I-I'm gonna put you down now, okay?" Arin breathed. 

“Huh?...y-yeah...fine…” Dan mumbled, looking down sadly. 

Arin then lightly put Dan down in the wagon, and sighed satisfyingly. 

"Alright see?...that wasn't so bad. You weigh maybe about the same as like, a small dog." 

Dan cracked a smile for a moment, but he didn’t reply. He then looking off into the distance with an upset look. 

"Now sir, if you'll excuse me..." Arin said dignifyingly as he then took the wagon and pulled it into the hallway, stopping it in front of the door. 

Dan still remained silent, almost like he wasn’t listening. 

"Okay, I'll only be in a bit. Just hang out a little." 

Arin urged, not before he suddenly took off his wet shirt. Dan glanced up, blushing red as he looked back down. 

"He doesn't like you that way, Dan...stop thinking he does...." The siren thought to himself.

Arin then gave Dan a cheery thumbs up before closing the door behind him.

Dan sighed slowly, feeling more hurt inside. He leaned on the back of the wagon, letting himself slump down into the water till it reached his neck. Dan sighed slowly one more, feeling tears form in his eyes. All was calm while Dan sat alone. 

**"ALL AROUND THE WORLD!!"** Arin's voice echoed loudly from behind the door.

Dan lifted his head, giggling faintly.

"AH YEAH, WASHING UP AND I'M FEELING GOOD!" Dan smiled, Arin was such a goof.

"OH, DAN IS SO COOL! AND HE'S GOT NICE HAIR! HE'S MY BESTEST BEST FRIEEEEND!" Arin sang loudly.  "AH YEAH, THE SIREN GUY, NEVER COULDA DONE ANYTHING WITHOUT HIM, HE'S A FRIEND TO THE END!"

Then Arin went to a lower tone, as Dan listened "He's the coolest guy I know, the skies are bluer now than before. Dan brought me onto my knees, I hope he doesn't ever leave..." 

Dan covered his mouth.

Arin finished off his song "And I've wanted to say, since that one faithful day, that you are the best thing, that I've ever had happen to me..." 

Dan was astonished. He...he said all of that about Dan? The siren's cheeks grew red. 

H-How could he say all that at him if he wasn't interested? Unless...

Suddenly Dan heard the doorknob turn.

Arin came to the door with a clean shirt and pants on. He parted his wet hair as he turned towards Dan. 

"Sorry about keeping you wait-.....hey, you okay?" 

Dan blinked "H-Huh?" 

"Oh fuck...w-what happened?" Arin asked, bending down next to the wagon. 

"Wha, nothing. I'm fine." Dan protested.

"You're crying..." Arin muttered.

Dan then put a hand to his cheek. "O-Oh...I guess I am..."

"Was it something I said?" Arin frowned. 

“N-No, of course not…” Dan replied. 

"Fuck... I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you sad, dude." Arin said. 

Dan frowned "No no Arin, you're okay, really. I was..."

"You were...?" Arin pressed.

"Thinking about something." Dan shrugged.

Arin tilted his head "You sure?"

Dan nodded "Mhm...I'm okay."

Arin looked back to the tub "Do-Do you wanna go back in? Or no?..." 

"Sure, whatever works." Dan replied.

Arin nodded "Alright..." 

As Arin lead the wagon back, he wondered what Dan thought about to make him cry like that.

Dan didn't seem sad, more...he was happy?

Arin wheeled the wagon, unknowing of the water splashing everywhere. He was too focused on his thoughts to notice. 

Dan didn’t bother to care either as his tail swished about lightly. 

Arin stopped the wagon, getting ready to lift Dan back into the tub. 

"You ready?"

“Yes.”

Arin nodded, as he lifted Dan in his arms. Dan blushed again, caught up in his emotions.

Arin began to walk, but suddenly felt his foot slide backwards behind him.

"AHH!!" He screamed out.

He fell hard backwards onto the floor, with Dan landing right on top of him. 

Dan winced loudly, clenching to Arin as he rubbed his head. 

Arin muttered "Ah...Y-You okay?..." 

“I...I think so...just sore...and dizzy…” Dan winced again.

Arin opened his eyes, as he suddenly blushed. He was staring right at Dan with only a few inches between them. 

Dan blinked at this.

"I...I...wow..." Arin muttered. 

“What?...You smack your head or something?” Dan frowned. 

"Yeah, but...you...have..." Arin whispered. 

“I have what?” Dan pressed. 

"....Beautiful eyes..." Arin finished, blushing red all over. 

“R-Really?” Dan mumbled, surprised by the comment.

Arin nodded slowly "Yeah..."

“T-Thank you….” Dan muttered. 

They looked at each other. Neither of them talked or moved for a few moments...

Arin looked away "A- I'll help you up..." 

“A-Alright.” Dan replied. 

Arin gently got up, and helped Dan up, as his face remained red. Arin had Dan back in his arms as the siren's tail moved a bit.

"You hurt your tail?" Arin asked. 

“It’s okay, it's just kinda sore.” Dan noted, stopping the movements. 

"Aw dammit, I'm sorry." Arin sighed.

"Stop apologizing, dude. It's really okay." Dan smiled.

"You sure?"

"Mhm. Now, why don't we  could do something fun?” Dan shrugged. 

"L-like what?" Arin asked. 

“Well...I’m kinda hungry…” Dan blushed as his stomach growled. 

Arin giggled "Ah well...there's that. Alright, you wanna have lunch?" 

“That’d be nice.” Dan admitted. 

"Heh, alright, I'll be back..." 

Arin then gently put Dan down in the newly filled tub as he got up and began to walk out of the room, before he peeked out from the door 

"Uh...hey Dan?"

"Yeah?"

"...Thanks."

"For what?"

"Putting up with my dumbness."

"Nay, you're not dumb, Arin."

"So...what am I then?"

"....Charming."

Arin smiled wide "Well...you're not too bad yourself, prettyboy." The captain then darted out the room.

Dan giggled to himself as he laid back into the tub; he could feel blush creeping on his face and butterflies in his stomach. Maybe...things would work out after all...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EEE THE EGOBANG IS SO STRONG IN THIS CHAPTER GUYS


	24. Sirens Can Dream

“So like, besides all the singing and the stuff sirens usually are known for, what do you do in the ocean? Just like...chill out?" Arin asked while he ate a piece of shrimp.

The captain and his siren friend both decided to enjoy some lunch together as they conversed; sitting across from one another while they ate. Arin sat crisscrossed on the floor, while Dan leaned over the side of the tub with his food in hand.

“Well, I just kinda enjoy being underwater. You know, like, observe and take it all in.” Dan said, chewing on a shrimp.

"You do any treasure hunting under the water for fun?" Arin wondered.

“Not really, it feels like I’m stealing.” Dan sighed.

"If it's been under there for like, years, I don't think it counts as stealing. More like abandoned." Arin shrugged simply.

“True.” Dan replied.

"Besides, when you become a badass pirate, I shall show you the ropes." Arin grinned.

“Arin, I’m a siren, not a pirate.” Dan laughed.

"Who says you can't be both?" Arin smiled, as he ate another piece of shrimp.

“I guess. It just feels weird...I don’t have…” Dan mumbled as he moved his tail a bit in the water.

Arin frowned as his eyes moved to the shining blue tail in the tub "Oh...well, you could still be a cool pirate, despite the tail, dude."

“Wouldn't it be better if I didn't have it?” Dan questioned.

“What, no! It's nice.” Arin said.

“You seem to like my tail a lot.” Dan giggled.

"Well, it IS a really nice tail! It's the same color as your eyes." Arin stopped then blushed like crazy. Dan blushed as well, giggling softly.

"...Ahem, uh, yeah...well, still...Dan the Dangerous, the greatest siren pirate to sail the seas." Arin grinned.

“That sounds like a novel.” Dan joked.

"Barry would probably write something like that." Arin laughed.

“Perhaps.” Dan nodded as he showed his toothy grin. Arin really liked it when he grinned like that. It was cute. What?

Arin ate another piece of shrimp as he pondered "So...we make port in who knows how long...what do you plan on doing once we get there?"

“Well I don't know...sirens aren’t very liked in human towns.” Dan frowned.

Arin thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers " I got it. We get you a big blanket, put it over your tail, and we roll you into town like nothing!"

“But my scales.” Dan said, gesturing to his face and neck.

"....Medical condition?" Arin shrugged.

“That sounds really stupid.” Dan replied flatly.

"Stupid but plausible!" Arin replied.

“Heh...well, aren’t there things called make up?” Dan suggested.

"Yeah, we don't have any on the ship, but I'm pretty sure we could get some in the town. And we could cover the scales and you could totally pass in town without getting noticed!" Arin grinned excitedly.

“Wouldn’t people think it’s weird...me being wheeled around in my cart?” Dan blushed.

“I’ve seen dudes get wheeled around in WHEELBARROWS, Dan. I think one guy in a wagon isn’t gonna turn any heads.” Arin pointed out.

“...Well if you’re certain.” Dan replied.

“Of course I am! I’m the fucking master of disguise!” Arin said proudly.

“Sounds like it.” Dan laughed.

Arin laughed along, as they both smiled and giggled with each other. So far they both needed a nice relaxing lunch together, it felt good. Arin forgot all about his worries, as he giggled “Ah man...it’s gonna be buckets of fun.”

“Ross mentioned wanting to show me a dog.” Dan recalled.

“You’ve never seen a dog?” Arin gasped.

“I lived in the fucking ocean, Arin.” Dan reminded him.

“Oh right…okay well, you’ll get to see a lot of cool stuff once we get there. And really dude, have you ever kinda wished [you could be where the people are?](http://ravedancedan.tumblr.com/post/140792834969/for-the-lovely-sunniapplepie)” Arin asked.

“Well….no…” Dan admitted.

“Oh.” Arin blushed.

“I mean...part of me did...but...dreams don’t come true for sirens.” Dan frowned.

“What? Who says?” Arin furrowed his brows.

“Arin, sirens are not exactly human. We feed off of flesh, we serenade our prey to their deaths; dreams...are ridiculous to imagine for us. What dreams would we have? We can't change ourselves.” Dan said.

Arin looked sadly at Dan “That can’t be true, dude.”

“Look at me, man. Teeth, gills, tail, I'm a monster. No dreaming for me.”

“Dan-”

“What?”

“...You can.”

“How so, Arin?”

“...Because I think you can. And I’m gonna try and make those happen...okay?” Arin blinked, eyes focused on Dan's green and blue gaze.

Dan blushed heavily “Y-You’re serious?”

“You know it. You deserve as much as anyone to have their dreams come true. You’re smart, you’re caring, you’re brave...and I wanna help, okay?” Arin smiled.

Dan was astonished, no one had ever been this caring to him before. Arin didn't look to be holding anything back, not even a shred of false kindness was shown on his face. He really meant it.

“Thank you…” Dan giggled softly.

Arin nodded as he smiled “Besides, you need someone as awesome as me to help anyway. I can make stuff happen.”

Dan giggled again, blushing more.

“Land ho!!” Ross called from down the hall, as Arin turned back to Dan with an excited grin “Ready to make the magic happen, Dan?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Dan shrugged gently with a small smile.

“Woo! Let’s do it!” Arin grinned.

 

~~~~

 

Arin gathered Ross and Barry together to help with getting Dan ready to go out. Brian however, finally awoken from his prolonged sleep, was tiredly on the deck. Arin thought it best to leave him alone until he could sort things out.

“So the plan is to get him dolled up, so he’s not recognised out there?” Barry asked.

“Basically, yes.” Dan said.

“If the makeup wears out and anyone asks, the scales are painted on, maybe say he’s a performer or something.” Arin replied.

“Or he’s so famous, he gets wheeled in a wagon. So his famous legs and feet don’t touch the commoner’s ground.” Ross laughed.

“That’s a bit extreme.” Dan blushed.

“We’ve seen weirder, to be honest. There was that one guy…” Barry shrugged.

“Yeah didn’t he...go after some magic necklace and start some shitty pirate crew? That whole bar went fucking crazy in that fistfight.” Arin replied.

“Magic necklace?” Dan blinked.

“Yeah, we don’t really know specifics, but it like, had the power to bring people back to life? But it was cursed, so...” Ross explained.

“Ah.” Dan nodded, understanding now.

“What the hell was his name? Jake? Johnny? James?” Arin guessed.

“Who knows.” Ross sighed.

“Anyway, let’s get this makeover on!” Arin said, as Barry giggled.

Dan rolled his eyes lightly but giggled too.

After quite a while of Dan sitting still for the weird painted makeup to sit on his skin, the guys lifted Dan into the wagon, they filled it only halfway, and draped a large blanket over his tail, covering it completely.

“Won’t the water be a giveaway?” Dan mumbled.

“You gonna be okay without the water?” Arin frowned concerningly.

“Yes….but...I overheat very easily.” Dan confessed.

“Hmm...okay, we should have someone fan you maybe? Or…” Arin pondered.

“I got it! A hat.” Ross grinned.

“A hat would help.” Dan nodded.

“Alright, if you think so...” Arin said.

“We’ll need a big hat with all his hair.” Ross joked.

“Got it covered.” Barry said, as he ran to his room, and returned with a large maroon hat with a lavender colored feather “Had this in my closet, you think it might work?”

“Let’s try it.” Ross urged.

Barry then plopped the hat right onto Dan’s head. Dan blushed at this, not enjoying how it rubbed against his hair as he hissed.

“Maybe it’s a bit much…” Barry critiqued.

“Well if he’s hissing then he doesn’t like it.” Arin frowned.

“Was this from your acting days, Barry?” Ross asked, as he lightly took the hat off.

“N-No...m-maybe…” Barry mumbled.

Ross pondered “What if he wears my bandana?”

“That could work.” Arin nodded.

Ross then removed the bandana from his head, and then lightly put it on top of Dan’s head “Damn, you have a lot of hair, man…”

“We need a name for that much hair.” Barry giggled.

“But I like my hair.” Dan commented.

“Oh there’s nothing wrong with it. We’re just saying, it’s a lot.” Ross replied, as he placed the bandana on. The three guys took a step back, Dan looked pretty passable as a wagon pulled pirate.

“That feels better.” Dan admitted.

“Alright cool...now...let’s get going.” Barry stated, as they all began to roll him out of the room.

Once they got on deck, Arin handed them a paper. “Alright, here's the stuff we need this time. And um...maybe try and find something for Brian.”

“Like what? He already took too many of those weeds.” Ross questioned.

“Maybe like, some kinda medicine to cleanse it out of his system.”

“What, like ipecac?” Barry asked.

“God no. I-I don't know. Just something that can kinda help with his constant sleeping. Like a better alternative to the leaves.” Arin said.

Barry nodded “I'm sure that won't be too hard, right?”

“You coming, Arin?” Dan blinked.

Arin rubbed his neck, then turned to see Brian heading down the stairs to the cabins.

“Um...you guys go ahead. I gotta go settle something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey an update? Whoa its been a while lol  
> Also there's a ton of references in this one, if you spot em let me know! :3


	25. The Truth is Out

Arin turned a heel and followed the tired assassin down the steps. Brian sluggishly made his way through the halls, yawning faintly as he moved. Arin was silent, or as silent as he could be, being a few good feet behind Brian. The captain crept slowly and carefully, trying not to make a single move. Brian was only a little bit away when he paused in the middle of the hallway. 

Arin stopped. 

Brian stood in the same spot for a good couple of seconds before he continued his walk, seemingly undetecting Arin. The captain let out a breath of relief before Brian suddenly turned around, staring at him face to face. Arin gasped, stepping back. Brian blinked at Arin with red eyes, looking much worse than before. “What?” He mumbled under his bandana.

“Brian, we need to talk.” Arin began.

“If it's about anything going on with the ship, its none of-”

“I mean about this.” Arin finished, pulling out the bottle of kava leaves.

Brian's eyes grew wide as he tried to snatch the bottle away. “Where did you get those?!”

“That's not important right now. What IS important is why the fuck you have these.”

“T-That’s none of your fucking business, Raptor.”

“YES, IT IS.” Arin grumbled angrily.

“Oh really? I don't recall anyone saying you control me and my business.” Brian hissed.

“Brian, I just want to know why.”

“You don’t need to.”

“I WANT TO KNOW. NOW.”

Brian squinted at him and turned away, preparing to leave. However Arin wasn't done. He grasped Brian's shoulder and pulled him back to face him.

“Don't you fucking dare. Tell me why you're taking these.”

Brian shifted his eyes to the bottle then back to Arin.

“Brian, fucking TALK to me.” Arin pleaded.

The assassin slightly looked away, but then mumbled “...I can't.”

“Why not?”

“Because it-it makes me feel like a coward.” Brian muttered.

“Just say it.” Arin said.

Brian took a breath “It's because of what I think about in my sleep, are you happy?!”

Arin blinked “...Wha-”

“I...I see...death, and pain, and...Mark.” Brian mumbled.

Arin was at a loss for words.

“I see him in my sleep...but...it's not in a good way...I see him dying. Over and over. And I can’t stop it because I caused it. I use those...to let me sleep again.”

Arin gripped the glass bottle in his hands “B-But...dude, drugging yourself to sleep won't help anything.”

Brian didn't look Arin in the eyes as he sighed “It does. To some extent.”

“That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say.” Arin frowned.

Brian turned back to him, looking upset “Oh yeah? You try sleeping with the constant reminder of your mistake playing repeatedly in your mind, Arin!”

“Why the hell didn't you tell me about any of this, we could have done something else, something that won't kill you later!” Arin yelled.

“I told you, you didn't NEED to know.”

“I didn't need to?!” Arin screamed. “MY FRIEND IS GONNA FUCKING DIE IF HE TAKES THESE LEAVES FOR TOO LONG!! YOU DON'T THINK I NEEDED TO KNOW WHEN MY FRIEND WAS POISONING HIMSELF?!”

Brian suddenly went silent.

“You didn't tell me, Brian. Just because you grew up as a tightass who didn't need help, doesn't mean when someone actually cares, you fucking turn away and say they don't ‘need to know’. You have actual friends who don't want you to do something to yourself or anything!...I can't believe you didn't trust me enough to tell me about any of this; I could have helped you! Not everything has to be done by just you, Brian.”

Brian didn't reply as he looked at the floor.

“For fuck’s sake, man...” Arin sighed. “You’re my friend...if something's wrong you can tell me…”

Brian remained silent. 

Suddenly he felt Arin wrapping his arms around him in a tight embrace. Brian stiffened at this, a red blush coming on. This was his first hug, so this unusual sign of affection was far out of his knowledge. Arin held him close; Brian could hear a very subtle sniffle coming from the captain.

“A-Arin, don't you...don't you cry on me now…” Brian whispered.

Arin sighed “Fine I won't, but just…” Arin pulled back and faced Brian “You need to get off of these, dude...and we can help you, okay? You're not the only one dealing with what happened.”

Brian blinked, taking in a deep breath. “Alright-”

“ **ARIN** !!” 

Arin and Brian stiffened. That scream sounded like Barry.

Arin sped up the stairs with Brian, reaching the deck to find a terrifying surprise.

Ross's arm bandaged and bloody. Barry with the biggest purple and black eye. Dan with a large slash on his cheek. And all of them covered in dirt and dried blood.


	26. The Explanation

“Dan! Wh-WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?!” Arin gasped, running over to Dan's side. The siren's cut was deep, and a few scales were sliced off. Barry rubbed his neck, his black eye looking worse “We...kinda had some trouble…”

“Define, trouble?” Brian questioned.

Ross sighed, glancing at his bloody arm “Well…”

 

_**-A hour ago-** _

 

“Here we are, man! Your first human town!” Ross grinned.

“Dude, he’s a siren, I'm sure he's seen plenty towns before.” Barry reminded.

“Yeah, but he's never been in one, right Dan?....Dan?”

Dan was wide eyed and in awe, everything around him was so new and interesting, it fascinated him to look at all the stores and buildings. The town was quaint and lively; and may it be magic or not, no one really noticed Dan's inability to walk, or rather his mode of transportation. But that didn't bother Dan, he was too excited for seeing new things to pay attention.

Barry grinned “How you liking your first time in a town, Dan?”

“I-It’s very nice.” Dan admitted.

“It is, huh?” Barry agreed.

"I wanna see so much...and yet nothing at all. I'm still kinda nervous." Dan giggled.

"Hey it's alright, it's good to be nervous, this is all brand new to you." Barry said.

“We need to find some medicine.” Ross urged.

“Wow, I would have expected you to be side tracking by now, Ross.” Barry teased.

“Well if I've learned anything from Brian's nagging, we should get medicine first so we can sidetrack later.” Ross reasoned.

“Alright, there’s the medical shop.” Barry pointed towards a small shack down the street.

The three were able to acquire a small bottle of medicine from the store; the seller explained that if Brian took the medication once every night, he’d be feeling like his old self again, and the effect of the leaves would lessen. They thanked the seller and were soon on their way to get their supplies then explore the town as much as they could.

~~~

Once the men had gathered all the supplies needed and checked out a few place, it was about time they head back to the ship. However, they had only one last thing to do before the sun would set. 

"Oh wait! I have to show Dan a dog first!" Ross exclaimed.

“Really? Now?” Barry complained.

“YES NOW, it’s Dan’s first day in a human town and he’s gotta see at least one dog before we go.”

“A-Alright…” Dan smiled.

"Come on, man, let's find one. Come on, Barry!" Ross grinned as he tugged Dan along in the wagon down the road. Barry followed them as Ross soon spotted some puppies playing some kids.

"Ahhh there they are, dude!" Ross smiled brightly.

Dan looked at the strange creatures, all of them wagging their tails and running in circles. The kids looked at the guys a bit concerningly; probably because they were strangers walking up to them.

Ross bent down gently to the kids’ eye levels "Hey kids, is it okay if my friend can pet one of your puppies?"

The kids exchanged looks as some of them shrugged. Suddenly a puppy ran up to the wagon and lightly scratched at the side. Dan froze up, not expecting the sudden action.

Ross grinned "It's cool, man. Just stick your hand out a bit..."

Dan looked at Barry in nervousness before lightly moved his hand down to the puppy. The puppy wagged its tail as it barked playfully at Dan.

Dan yelped in surprise from the noise.

Ross and Barry giggled, as Barry patted Dan's back "You alright?"

Dan nodded slowly, reaching his hand out again. He lightly touched the puppy as it wagged its tail at him again. Dan cracked a nervous smile “Heh...hiiii…”

The puppy barked happily as Ross grinned “See, that wasn’t so bad, right?”

“Yeah….can I get one?”

“Maybe later, we gotta get back to the ship.”

“Thanks kids for letting us check out your puppies, you ready to go, Dan?" Barry suggested.

Dan nodded in reply and with that, they began to the trip back to their ship.

"What'd you think of your first interaction with a dog, Danny?" Barry asked.

“It was pretty cool.” Dan smiled. “Land creatures are way different than sea creatures.”

"They were cute, huh? Come on, admit it, it was super cute." Ross smiled.

“Yeah.” Dan nodded.

"What, if you got one, what would you name it?" Barry asked.

"Um...I-I don't know." Dan shrugged.

"Maybe he should name it something like Bruiser or something cool like Falcon." Ross suggested.

"But why would I name a dog after a bird?" Dan blinked, as Barry burst out laughing.

~~~~

As the guys walked down the streets, out of the corner of his eye, Barry noticed some shady people glaring at them from the alleyway nearby.

"...Uh...guys?" Barry whispered to Ross.

“What?” Ross mumbled.

"Dude, the guys over there...they don't... look too friendly..." Barry replied, with a bit of shakiness in his voice.

Suddenly, they moved past the group as Dan shivered. The men glared at them passing by, as Barry and Ross nervously waved "Top of the morning, fellas...."

One of the guys, bulky and intimidating, came forward; lighting a cigar and letting out a heavy puff of smoke.

“That’s one strange lookin’ guy.” He noted, gesturing to Dan.

Barry flinched lightly "Oh? Uh well, our friend here is..uhhh-"

"Very sick! Yes, very sick...umm...best not to get near, you know, for safety reasons..." Ross interrupted.

“Oh?” The guy grinned as his buddies gathered behind him.

"Um...y-yes." Dan nodded.

One of them suddenly grabbed Dan’s hair “He’s not half bad for a sick guy.”

Ross stepped forward to push him back "Hey, leave him alone!" Another guy instantly pushed Ross to the ground.

Barry interrupted "Hey look, we don't want trouble. Just, leave us be, and we'll be out of your hair..."

“Oh, and YOU think you can stop us, pipsqueak?” The leader growled.

“T-That’s not what I’m saying at all-”

“Well why don’t you fight like a man, then? Tryin’ to weasel out like a dickless runt.”

Another man punched Barry down as the guy holding Dan’s hair pulled out a knife. Ross's eyes grew red with anger as he suddenly stood up and began to punch rapidly at Dan’s captor. However another guy tackled Ross to the ground as a crowd gathered around the scene. "F-Fuck!!" Ross screamed, as he saw Barry out cold on the ground with blood and a black eye. Ross then heard Dan screaming as he saw the guy had cut his cheek.

**"DAN!!"**

Something made Ross snap.

Ross kicked the man off him, as another began to punch him repeatedly in the stomach. Dan was crying as he held his cheek, Ross instantly noticed two bloody scales on the dirt. "Stop it!!" Ross screamed out.

Ross then grabbed his knife from his pocket and sliced at his attacker. Jumping back, the guy prepared to swing again before Ross shoved the knife into his leg, sending him screaming in pain to the floor. The group of men stepped back, seeing the rage in Ross’ eyes.

“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM US. OR I’LL KILL YOU ALL WHERE YOU STAND.” Ross growled, his knife pointed at the thugs threateningly.

The thugs quickly ran off as Ross got up while Dan kept crying. He quickly went to his side, and examined the cut "Oh my god...I-I'm so sorry Dan..." Dan didn’t reply, still in pain as he hiccupped while crying.

~~~~

Ross was able to pull Dan in his wagon with Barry’s weak body leaning up against him as Ross found a small area past the alleys. He tended to his arm, which till this point, didn’t even notice the large gash. Maybe the anger from before blinded him from the pain?

Ross then bent over to Barry, who was leaned against a wall, moaning a bit while he laid a hand on his black eye.

“Barry, you okay?” Ross sighed.

Barry winced “Yeah...I’ll live…..is Dan alright?”

Ross turned, seeing Dan sniffled lightly as he noticed how bad Dan’s cut was, two scales had been removed.

Barry sat up gently, laying a hand on Dan’s shoulder “Oh no…”

Ross frowned "I'm sorry Dan..."

“I-It’s not your fault…none of you...” Dan whispered.

Ross very gently got a better look at the cut “Do your scales regrow?” Ross asked.

“Yes...but it takes a long time…” Dan sighed.

Ross then wrapped his arms around Dan as Barry joined him, embracing Dan in an apologetic hug. Dan sniffled then sobbed into Ross’ shoulder.

 

**_-present time-_ **

 

“And...yeah...that’s what happened.” Ross finished, wrapping his arm up with a clean cloth.

“Jesus…” Arin sighed.

“Barry, gently dab the cloth on your eye, alright?” Brian adviced, handing Barry the medicated cloth. “Yeah okay…” Barry nodded, wincing as he rested the cold medicine on his eye.

“What about those thugs? Shouldn’t we do something about them?” Ross questioned.

“There’s not much we really CAN do. Best thing now is to hightail it out of here.” Arin said, getting up and pacing a bit.

“What, so...you’re saying run like cowards?” Ross blinked.

“No, I’m saying we avoid making the situation worse.” Arin frowned.

“Bullshit, Arin. Your friends got their asses handed to them, and you wanna just leave.” Ross hissed.

“I’d rather you be alive than dead from that fight, dipshit.” Arin stated.

“Well I say we fight those bastards and show them what we’re made of!” Ross said.

“Ross, I’m NOT gonna get everyone else killed because you wanna fight.”

“You don’t wanna fight at all! Try being in Dan’s position, Arin. He got attacked for no reason! And you think y-you wanna just leave like nothing happened? Fuck you!”

“I didn’t say that-!”

“Yes, you did! You know what I’m out. I’m going to bed, no one bother me.” Ross grumbled, storming out of the room.

“Well fine then!” Arin yelled back.

**The captain let out a frustrated growl, then grabbed a few bandages and medicine for Dan, and went off to the bathroom to the injured siren in the tub.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quite a lot can happen in a short amount of time, huh? lol


	27. Sweet Retaliation

"So....did you get to see a puppy at least?" Arin asked, while Dan sat in the tub. The captain went into the bathroom to check up on Dan, following the scary events that happened prior to the poor siren. Dan shook faintly in the tub, his expression sad and disinterested.

“Yes…” Dan replied dully.

"Well, that's cool..." Arin said, checking the bandages.

Dan had this almost lifeless look in his eyes, he didn’t smile at all. Arin knew he needed to cheer Dan up somehow. But he didn’t know how.

Arin sighed "Uh...you know, I...kinda wanted to show you around the town myself...I had more stuff planned for you to see."

“I’m not going back into that town.” Dan said flatly.

"Yeah... but maybe, some other time, I could show you the mountain view..." Arin said softly.

“Why?” Dan replied.

"It's really beautiful up there. You get this clear view of the sea, and the islands scattered across.." Arin started.

Dan didn’t listen to him.

"Yeah...but, you probably don't like that kind thing. Which is totally cool, I mean, hey, like what you like, you know?" Arin shrugged.

Dan didn’t reply.

Arin paused, then sighed heavily "I'm sorry... I just wanted to help..."

“You want to help?” Dan guessed.

"Yeah man...of course." Arin nodded.

“Then….let me go back..” Dan whispered.

"Back?" Arin asked.

“To the ocean…” Dan finished.

Arin's eyes grew, as he felt his heart stop for a moment "....Dude...."

“What? You got some bullshit reason to make me stay!? Well don’t fucking bother! Anywhere I go I’m some goddamn freak!” Dan snapped.

Arin leaned back slightly “Dan-”

“No Arin, you don’t get it! My kind are NOT welcome anywhere! And I should have known going into that place was a bad idea! I’m a freak, Arin! And I should leave.”

Arin frowned "I...I just..."

“You just what, Arin?” Dan grumbled.

"I just....I...don't want you to..." Arin said, lightly looking down.

Why?” Dan whispered.

"I thought...that, if you wanted to, you could be happy here...with us. And...you could be with people who, actually care about you...who want you to be okay..." Arin replied softly.

Dan looked the captain in the eyes “I just….I don’t belong here.” Dan frowned. “I should just go back to my sister...in the coves…”

Arin sighed "I...I guess nothing I'll say will make you change your mind, Dan...but, I...god, I don't want you to go. Your...you're my friend…”

Dan sighed “And you’re mine, but…”

Arin put a hand on Dan’s arm “Y-You're my best friend… a-and I'd be lost without you..."

Dan frowned slowly before he looked down “You….you mean it?”

Arin nodded "With every bone in my body."

Dan looked back up at Arin, scanning his expression for even the slightest bit of falsehood. But...none of that was shown. Arin didn’t bat an eye or even change the worried look on his face; he meant what he said. Wholeheartedly.

“....F-Fine….I-I’ll stay…” Dan blushed lightly.

Arin smiled widely, then wrapped Dan in a hug "Thank you man..."

Dan blinked, faintly patting Arin’s back before returning the hug. They pulled back from one another.

“B-But….only because you want me here….” Dan muttered.

"Well, I mean...Barry and Ross want you here too. I mean, think of how sad they'd be if you were gone..." Arin reasoned.

Dan looked a bit unsure.

Arin shook his head “Dude, do you see Ross acting like a happy little kid when he hangs out with you? It’s like he’s got a big brother now."

“M-Maybe…” Dan replied. He suddenly thought back to him and Ross’ journey a month or so ago.

“And Barry cares a ton about you too. He talks to you when you’re blue, doesn’t he?” Arin pointed out.

Dan remembered his night in the tub, crying and heartbroken, when a tired and half-asleep Barry came and comforted him.

"See, man? You belong here. You got dudes that care, and want you to be happy. You're not alone here..." Arin replied.

“What about Brian?” Dan raised an eyebrow. “He still doesn’t like me too much.”

“Maybe you guys just need to bond sometime. You’ll make friends with him, dude.” Arin smiled encouragingly.

Dan nodded slowly “Um….c-c-can you cheer me up?”

Arin nodded, then remembered something he had in his pocket, as he lightly pulled it out. "What about this?"

“What is it?” Dan wondered.

In Arin's hand, was a small wrapped candy.

"This is candy, my friend. One of the many wonders of the world."

Dan’s eyes glittered in awe. “W-What does it do?”

“It’s something you eat. Here.” Arin grinned, handing Dan the candy.

Dan took the item from him, unwrapping it as he placed it in his mouth. Arin watched Dan’s face try to decipher what the candy was; his face changed from curious caution to a child-like grin.

Arin smiled coyly "Well?"

Dan blushed a bit “T-This...this is good. Really good.”

Arin clapped "Ah ha! Yes! I have found your weakness! Candy!"

Dan merely chewed on the treat, too entranced by the sweet flavor to speak.

Arin giggled "I see you like it."

Dan nodded eagerly in reply.

"Captain Arin knows his way to anyone's heart." Arin said proudly.

Once Dan finished the treat he blushed a light shade of pink.

"Good?" Arin grinned.

“Yes.” Dan replied.

"Ah well, there's more where that came from. I got a whole jar of it." Arin replied.

Dan blinked in surprise “Really?” as Arin giggled.

"Anytime you want one, you let me know. Or better yet, I'll let you have the jar." Arin shrugged.

“Whoa, I….oh, but I’d hate to impose….” Dan muttered.

"Impose? Nay, it's fine! You’re my friend, you deserve candy when you’d like, dude." Arin replied.

Dan giggled “Well, thank you….you really helped me tonight, Arin.”

Now it was Arin’s turn to blush “Aw...i-it was no trouble. We gotta stick together, am I right?”

“Right.” Dan nodded.

~~

Brian looked out at the ocean with his telescope, then wrote down the location of their current stop on a sheet of paper. He was at this for a small while,until he heard the sounds of footsteps. Brian felt the presence near, slowly pulling out his knife from his boot. Turning around, he held the person by the shirt with a knife at their throat.

“Whoa whoa, BRIAN CHILL THE HELL OUT, IT’S ME!” Ross cried.

Brian blinked, before he released the crewman, sighing “What the hell are you doing sneaking up like that? Any later and I would have jabbed this into your neck.”

Ross blinked, his eyes shifting to the left.

Brian looked in that direction. Towards the town.

“...You’re thinking of going back there, aren’t you.” Brian guessed.

Ross sighed “Was it that obvious?”

“Yes. Work on that next time.” Brian warned.

“Bri...I can’t get over the thought of going over there and kicking those guys’ asses for what they did to me, to Barry and Dan. It wasn’t fair.”

“That isn’t the smartest solution here.”

“Who cares about smart solutions? I want justice, Brian. For my friends.”

“Ross…”

“Look, I’m going. No one’s stopping me.”

Brian grabbed his shoulder “Except me.”

Ross heaved “Please Brian...w-why don’t you come? Maybe having an assassin by me might help even the odds.”

Brian raised an eyebrow “I’m not getting involved in your little retaliation battle, Ross.”

“Fine then, I’m going alone.” Ross ripped himself from Brian’s grip as he headed for the docks in a mad dash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FEEL THE CUTE EGOBANG BBY <3
> 
> also Ross is gonna find out some shit. that's all I'll say.


	28. Mark Well Me Words

Ross rushed through the dark streets, his eyes peeled for any kind of suspicious movement in the shadows. He held his small blade tight in his sweaty hand, moving his thumb along the handle.

Ross kept a good pace; those years on the streets taught him well. But what they didn’t teach him, was when he was caught from behind.

Ross then felt a pull on his shoulder.

He turned, and was instantly met with deathly blue eyes, staring at him with intensity.

“B-Brian.”

Brian didn’t show it, but he was frowning from underneath his bandana.

“Are you crazy or something? This is beyond stupid, Ross.” Brian hissed.

“I don’t care, man! I need to find these guys.” Ross protested.

“And you want to get killed? Because that’s exactly what’ll happen.”

“....I don’t want to sit idly by, Brian.”

Brian looked him in the eyes a moment longer, before huffing “You’re not gonna let this go, are you?”

“No.” Ross replied.

Brian grumbled, still gripping Ross’ shoulder. “Fine….I’m not leaving you alone to fight though. I’m not as dumb as you.”

“Wow thanks, Brian. I can feel the love.” Ross said sarcastically.

“My pleasure.” Brian replied in a deadpan tone.

Brian and Ross then continued down the town’s empty streets. As they walked; people would glance but then scurry into their homes, scared of starting trouble. Ross figured it was because of him, but the intimidating look from the assassin beside him said otherwise.

After a few blocks, Brian spoke lowly “Where were these guys when they attacked you?”

“Um...down this alley I think.” Ross replied.

Brian nodded, following Ross as he lead him towards the dark cornerway. But to their surprise and Ross’ disappointment...it was empty.

“Fuck...fuck!” Ross huffed, stomping his foot like a child.

Brian rolled his eyes “Well, now what?”

“T-They gotta be here.”

“They wouldn’t be in the same place they were fought, now would they?”

“...No I guess not…”

“You guys lookin’ for someone?” A voice asked.

Brian and Ross turned, suddenly faced with a young boy no older than 10.

“Umm….y-yeah we are.” Ross replied. Brian blinked at the kid, who in turn looked at him like he was looking at a mysterious being from a different planet.

“If you guys wanna finds someone, go look in the tavern down the road. There’s a lotta people that go in there, maybe someone you know is there?” The kid suggested.

“This, tavern, got a name?” Brian inquired.

The kid nodded “The Iron Jaw.”

~~~~

Brian and Ross headed towards a building at the end of the long road. They had finally come across a tavern illuminated in soft orange lights. Music could be heard from the inside along with a wooden sign that hung and swayed over the door. The sign simply read “The Iron Jaw”.

“This is the place…” Ross sighed.

“So….what exactly is your plan here?” Brian questioned.

“Well I find the guys and kick their asses, that’s my plan.” Ross replied.

Brian groaned “That’s an incredibly stupid plan.”

“Well what would you suggest, smart guy?” Ross frowned.

“Find them and take the fight outside. Then have me deal with them.” Brian said.

Ross smirked “Ooo, I like this plan.”

Brian rolled his eyes as they entered the building. The tavern was all abuzz; people chatting and cheering as they drank. They were singing drunkenly to the music band in the back of the bar. Along with the sounds of glass cups clinking into one another for good health.

Ross looked around, trying to spot the thugs from before. However with so many people in one place, that proved to be difficult.

Brian tapped Ross’ shoulder, pointing towards the bar area. He gestured to the bartender at the stall.

“He might have seen them come in.” Brian suggested.

The bartender had shaggy brown hair, and large ocean blue eyes. He pushed up his glasses on his nose as he cleaned a few shot glasses with a rag.

“Come on, man! He didn’t need that shit- they done fucked it up!” Some drunk on a barstool bitterly stated.

“Joe, everytime you come in, you get drunk off your ass and get angry at everything.” The bartender said flatly.

“We-well it’s true! Commander is all on everyone’s ass. And he shits on anything good!” Joe said before taking a shot.

The bartender rolled his eyes and stated “Angry Joe, you're quite the delight.”  

He suddenly spotted Ross and Brian coming towards the booth.

“Evening gents. You interested in any drinks?”

Ross lifted his finger to speak before Brian interrupted “No, actually. We’re here looking for someone.”

“Heh...that’ll be a bit of a challenge. A lot of guys come in and out, especially tonight. It’s our busiest time to open.” The bartender said.

“Have you by any chance seen some tall thugs, maybe about three or four in a group?” Ross asked.

“You’re gonna need to give me a little more than that.” The bartender shrugged.

Ross thought back to the men, trying to find something worth any information.

_“One of the guys, bulky and intimidating, came forward; lighting a cigar and letting out a heavy puff of smoke.”_

“Umm...one of the guys was really big...and he was a smoker.” Ross said, Brian gave him a look like ‘That’s it? That’s ALL you got?’.

The bartender tapped his chin in thought “This guy, had a couple of guys with him, right?”

“Yes. And….I stabbed one of them in the leg?” Ross replied, making Brian’s eyes grow wide.

The bartender nodded “Y-Yeah...I saw those guys come in. They were helping one of their guys in, he was bleeding from a knife to the leg.”

Ross blinked “T-Then you know where they went?”

The bartender sighed “Yeah, but you’re gonna be disappointed. They left. Like, out of town, left.”

Ross frowned instantly, huffing in discouragement. Brian raised an eyebrow at Ross.

The bartender then leaned over a bit “But…”

Both men turned to him.

“I know where they went off to.”

Brian blinked “Alright, then where did they go?”

The bartender slightly frowned, but beckoned them over.

Ross and Brian went to the bar stand, and sat on the stools beside the booth. They leaned in, all ears to what the bartender had to say.

The bartender leaned forward, looking around him before speaking in a low voice “Look...we don’t really talk about that place out in the open.”

“W-Why not?” Ross blinked.

“I-It’s not a place to take lightly. Rumors, myths, legends, they circle that place like vultures…” The bartender whispered.

“By that, I assume wherever this place is, it's trouble.” Brian grumbled.

“You could say that…” The bartender nodded.

“Well...what can you tell us?” Ross asked.

The bartender's eyes grew wide and worrisome, his ocean blue irises big and cloudy.

“...They call it Marooner’s Shore.” He said, saying the name like it was a foul taste in his mouth.

Brian and Ross exchanged looks.

“Not a lot is said about it...only bits from a passersby and the occasional explorer who found his way back somehow.” The bartender said.

“What DO you know?” Brian inquired.

“I know it's out near the coves and caverns of the Western Caribbean. And it's not the safest place to travel to and from. You have to navigate through the mist that shrouds the coves like a blanket, always dark and grey.” The bartender replied.

“Okay, so it's dangerous. Is that all?” Ross said.

The bartender shook his head “The people in the town...they're not right in their heads.”

“What does that mean?” Brian raised an eyebrow.

“I mean, there's something WRONG with them.” The bartender hushed. “There's been rumors, and myths about the islands and its inhabitants. Some say they're undead, some say there was a witch that cursed them all, but for whatever reason, those folks are not all there. They fight without reason, they hunt for sport or trophies, a lot of crazy things like that…”

Ross remembered the fight, and how the thugs did attack for no reason. It started to make sense now.

“So the people and the islands, are cursed?” Brian questioned.

“...Yeah...” The bartender muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> booOOOOOoooooOOOOoo :P
> 
> The Iron Jaw theme: Medieval Inn/ Seaside Tavern https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qklByQJWyLk


	29. A Dangerous Course

“Cursed?!” Ross gasped, making Brian cup his mouth and shush him loudly.

The bartender sighed and nodded “Listen, if I were you, it’d let it go. There’s no reason going to Marooner’s Shore unless you're crazy, or desperate, or crazy AND desperate.”

“B-But-” Ross mumbled from behind Brian’s hand.

“You heard the man, Ross. He says don’t go. And I’m not gonna risk my life for some stupid half-cooked revenge plot.” Brian muttered.

Ross pulled Brian’s hand off his mouth “Dude, we have to!”

The bartender looked at him with a serious face “So you’re willing to get yourself killed going there?”

“Those fuckers beat up me and my friends. It may not be the smart idea, but I don’t want those guys going off scoot-free for what they did.” 

The bartender glanced at Brian and Ross inquisitively. After a moment of silence, he let out a sigh “There’s a way to it. If you’re really THAT dead-set on getting those guys, you’ll need directions. Thankfully, there’s a guy who’s got the map you need.”

“Who’s that?” Ross blinked.

The bartender then bent down behind the counter and pulled out a small chest.

“Me.”

He opened the lock with a key he had in his pocket, opening the box of scattered papers and maps before coming across the one they needed. The bartender then handed it to Brian without a word.

“This is the way, correct?” Brian raised an eyebrow.

“Well it’s the way that won’t get you killed, if that’s what you mean.”

“How’d you get it?” Ross asked.

The bartender ruffled his shaggy brown hair “Let’s just say, I didn’t get my nickname ‘The Penguin’ for nothing.”

 

~~~~

 

“And then we would steal a few apples and pears from the grocer’s shop.” Arin grinned. He had stayed a bit longer with Dan, telling him stories and misadventures he had in the past.

“You didn’t get caught?” Dan blinked.

“Pff, of course not. I’m a master of stealth. Well...more like Mark was. I kinda just served as the distraction.” Arin giggled.

Dan laughed out loud; his giggle sounding like a wave hitting the shore.

Arin blushed at this….wait, what?

“Man, I’m surprised you and Mark made it out with your heads still intact.” Dan said.

“It’s honestly a bit of a mystery to me too.” Arin smirked, rubbing his neck.

Arin then did a very unusual act, as he leaned up against Dan, laying his head on his shoulder. 

Dan blushed bright red, heartbeat quickening.

Arin then noticed his mistake, and sat up awkwardly. “O-Oh boy, um...h-heh….I’m sorry…”

“No no...i-it’s okay…” Dan whispered.

Arin cleared his throat. Silence filled the bathroom.

"I hope I was able to help a little, man." Arin said. 

“Y-Y-You….you’re helping a lot….” Dan confessed. 

"Oh yeah?...that's...that's good." Arin replied, blushing. 

Dan lightly held onto Arin as the captain blinked in surprise. But he didn't stray away from the hug, as Arin silently let Dan hold him. Dan rested his head on Arin’s. Arin took a breath, letting the silence in the air go by. 

“Thanks...a lot…” Dan said.

“N-No problem…” Arin mumbled.

Dan kept his position as Arin blushed red. He felt the hairs on his neck stand up, as he sat with Dan, letting all time go past without even batting an eye. Dan remained like this for a very long time until Arin noticed he was breathing softly. 

"Dan?" Arin asked.

Arin could see his chest slowly rise and fall in slumber. 

"Oh..." Arin mouthed. 

Arin carefully moved Dan into the tub who lightly sunk back as he softly slept, making Arin blush a bit more.

He never really noticed...Dan looked kinda cute when he was asleep. 

Arin slowly petted Dan’s head before he turned off the lights and left the room. Arin then shook his head, maybe...maybe it was just him being tired? Arin decided to sleep on it. 

“Yo, Arin?” Ross called from the deck. Arin blinked, and let out a groan before going upstairs. He was met with Brian and Ross staring him in the face.

“Yeah?” Arin questioned tiredly.

Ross nudged Brian in the arm, as the assassin sighed heavily “We need to get some more….supplies.”

The tone in Brian’s voice gave off an annoyed vibe.

“O...kay? Um, what is it we need?” Arin asked.

“Something, but it’s not here. Trust us, we’ve looked.” Ross said quickly.

Brian glared at him before nodding.

“Um...a-alright then, where is this...something...we need?” Arin said.

“It’s a few islands. Maybe a couple of days to travel to.” Ross replied.

“The name?” Arin raised an eyebrow.

“...Marooner’s Shore.” Brian grumbled.

Arin blinked at the name “...Never heard of it...but...I guess we don’t have any other plans so...alright. Set a course for this Marooner’s Shore. I’m going to sleep.”

Arin groggily left the deck, with Brian annoyingly looking at Ross.

“...What?” Ross said.

“Lying to the captain like that. You got some nerve, Ross.” Brian grumbled.

“Oh sure, pull the ‘liar’ card on me, Mr. Kava Leaves.”

Brian blinked, his eyes looking red in anger.

“Whatever, you said you’d take those guys out when we find them. Well, we’re finding them, so that’s that.” Ross stated, unrolling the map the Penguin gave them.

“This doesn’t feel right.” Brian said.

“The lying? Come on, you’ve done it before.” Ross retorted.

“No, I mean...going to Marooner’s Shore.”

“Relax, we go in, take those guys out, then leave. Easy as that.” Ross shrugged.

“It’s cursed, you idiot. Remember? Death could be right on our doorstep.” Brian hissed.

“I don’t care, and neither should you.” Ross said.

“You're hopeless.” Brian muttered, going downstairs and leaving Ross alone with the map. 

He looked at it carefully before sighing “I’m not hopeless. I’m getting justice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh hey I'm back! yeah, things are kinda tough around here, but I'm gonna try and push through it! So, let's see what adventures await for these boys, shall we? :D


	30. Sailing For Adventure

"See anything, Brian?" Arin called from the deck.

Brian nodded, looking down at the Penguin’s map. They had gotten out to sea the morning after their less-than-memorable night in the last port; with Ross's intentions of going to Marooner’s Shore hidden to everyone except Brian. The assassin was not at all pleased with this plan, but if it would shut up Ross for a good while, all bets were off.

He looked at the map as he pointed forward.

"You heard the man, Barry." Arin giggled.

Barry sighed slowly, rubbing his temples as he turned the helm to the northwest.

Ross had settled on the deck, teaching Dan the wonders of card playing.

"Okay....any...fives?" Ross asked.

“No.” Dan said.

Ross sighed, pulling out a card "Fuck."

Dan giggled “Sorry.”

“Who's winning, I'm taking bets.” Arin grinned, coming over to see their game.

“So far, Ross is getting his ass beat at cards.” Barry smiled from his post.

"Dude, step up your game! This is getting embarrassing." Arin teased.

“How do you win again?” Dan blinked in confusion.

"You have to have as many pairs as possible and clear out your hand of cards." Ross explained.

Dan nodded, only holding one card as he muttered “Do you have any nines?”

Ross nodded, handing Dan the nine card.

Dan then set the two on the table “Did it...I think…”

Ross blinked, as Arin laughed out loud.

Indeed, Dan had won with at least ten more pairs than Ross.

“Wow Ross, that was so sad it was funny.” Barry giggled.

"Well...beginner's luck..." Ross grumbled.

“Maybe next time, don't gloat as much.” Arin teased.

“Aw it's okay. Everyone's a winner in my book.” Dan shrugged, flashing a comforting grin.

"Alright, fair enough. Another round?" Ross asked, shuffling the cards.

“Alright.” Dan nodded.

Arin smiled fondly, glad to see that Dan’s mood had improved. It may had only been a week or two since the events at the last port, but Arin was relieved that not only Dan, but everyone had improved from before, even in just small changes.

The scales that were cut off of Dan’s cheek had already regrown, they looked a lot shinier than the last ones too.

Barry had a bit more of a backbone than before. Since the encounter, he had asked Arin for some lessons in sword fighting. It was small progress, but progress none the less.

Arin could tell Brian was less stressed than before. However Ross seemed unchanged in his eyes, despite him occasionally being a bit easier to tick off.

Brian jumped down from the mast, and came up to the captain “Marooner’s Shore is very nearby if we keep heading north.”

"Alright, cool, though..." Arin said.

“What?” Brian blinked.

Arin then pointed to a body of water away from their destination "I've heard some stuff about going this way."

Brian glanced at Ross, who looked panicked at the news.

“Whoa whoa, wha?” Ross muttered.

“That way doesn’t take us to the port.” Brian pointed out.

"Yeah I know, but dude, there's a...treasure, said to be in this body of water." Arin urged.

Ross looked sick. Brian could tell he was on a bed of nails at this moment.

“...Later, we need to go to port. We’re low on supplies.” Brian sighed.

“A-And the thing we were looking for.” Ross pointed out.

"Arin, maybe we should just stop at the port?" Barry called.

Dan blinked as he looked up at Arin “Do they have candy there?”

Arin nodded "Yeah they must...but aw man, I wanna go see about that treasure, dude!"

Ross got an idea.

“Arin, are you really gonna deny Dan his right to have candy?” Ross teased, pinching Dan’s cheeks.

Arin smirked "Well no...."

“Look at em Arin. This sweet little baby sharkboy needs his sugar intake.” Ross smiled as Dan raised an eyebrow as Ross’ teasing.

“We don’t have to stop ya know…” Dan blushed.

“But they might have marshmallows.” Ross urged.

Dan's eyes grew "Marshmallows?"

“Yeah, they’re super soft and sweet. It's like a pillow of sugary fluffiness in your mouth.” Ross smiled as Dan blushed further.

“Come on Ross, all you do is tease Dan about candy.” Barry sighed.

"But it works, doesn't it?" Ross replied. “Besides, don't you wanna try it, Dan?”

Dan kept blushing as he twiddled his fingers “T-That does sound yummy…”

Brian rolled his eyes at Ross.

Arin smiled at Dan's blushing as he cleared his throat "Oh alright then. We get to the port, and get candy...and marshmallows."

Dan perked up at this “R-Really?”

"Of course." Arin nodded.

“Sounds like a plan.” Ross grinned, ruffling Dan’s hair. He also flashed Brian a smirk.

Arin called up at the helm "Okay, Barry, set a course for...Maroon’s something or other."

Meanwhile Brian and Ross watched as Dan and Arin talked a bit by the decks’ railing.

“You could stop while you're ahead.” Brian said.

“Aw come on Brian, aren't you just iching to kick some ass?” Ross grinned.

Brian rolled his eyes “I'd rather be kicking yours for this.”

Ross sighed “Just in and out. I promise.”

“Yeah, and then if we get cursed, it's on you.”

“Got it.”

“Do you swear?”

Ross blinked, then spit into his hand, grabbing Brian's hand and shaking it vigorously. He grinned “Swear.”

Brian pulled away, rubbing his hand on his shirt.

As Ross laughed like a little kid, Arin and Dan talked a bit as they watched the sea.

"Excited?" Arin questioned.

“Yeah.” Dan nodded.

Arin then sat down next to Dan "You're gonna like this port, man. It's way better than the last. Well...anything's gotta be better than that port anyway."

“I hope so.” Dan sighed.

Arin looked at Dan's newly grown scales. “The scales look better though.”

“Yeah...and it doesn't hurt anymore.” Dan replied.

Arin nodded, lightly patting Dan's shoulder "Buck up. Think of the marshmallows."

Dan thought for a moment and nodded, smiling “Now you make me want candy….”

"Gotcha covered." Arin reached into his pocket, and pulled out a chewy taffy.

Dan blushed a light shade of pink as Arin giggled. "You're so giggly, dude." Arin stated.

“Like a gigglin’ fool?” Dan laughed. The siren took the taffy from Arin’s hand, unwrapping it and popping it into his mouth.

Arin smiled “Nah, not even close to a fool.”

Ross suddenly appeared by Arin’s side, leaning over "Do I get a candy?"

“Nope.” Arin teased.

“Aw why not?” Ross frowned.

Arin sighed, grabbing a candy from his pocket and handing it to Ross, who took it like a excited little boy.

“Yay…” Ross grinned.

“My god Ross, I swear it's like you're like 12 forever.” Arin said.

“Well….do I still look good?” Ross teased.

“Shut up.” Arin giggled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ho, we'll go, anywhere the wind is blowing, manly men are weeeeee, sailing for adventure on the deep blue sea!
> 
> (sorry thats from Muppet Treasure Island, couldn't help it lol)


	31. Marooner's Shore

After a few good hours out on the ocean, Brian could see the port coming in closer.

Dan looked over the railing with a small smile “Um...it looks...a bit nicer than the other one. I guess.”

“See? We're off to a good start already.” Arin grinned.

“Better get Dan ready! And go get marshmallows.” Ross said.

Arin nodded, pulling the wagon towards the rooms. Dan laid back, twisting his hair.

“Could we maybe not do that make-up stuff this time?” Dan asked.

"Got it." Arin then dropped a blanket over Dan's blue tail, lightly wrapping it underneath.

Arin tilted his head “Better?”

Dan nodded “Yeah.”

~~~~

After they got Dan ready, they stopped the ship and tossed the anchor in at the port.

"Okay, you ready Dan?" Arin asked, putting on his light pink jacket.

Dan nodded in return as the group headed into town with Arin tugging on the wagon. First impressions; the town was a little smaller than the last, but a little nicer to look at. There were a few large crowds of people, apparently selling things and talking amongst each other.

“So, where to?” Arin said.

Barry pointed “There's some shops-”

“ACTUALLY! Me and Brian...we got something to check out. Don't we?” Ross exclaimed, nudging Brian on the shoulder. The assassin glared at him then nodded.

“Alright then, you guys do your thing, and me, Barry, and Dan are gonna check the place out. Cool?” Arin commanded.

With that, the group split up, as Arin noticed people looking at them with interest. The people blinked at the wagon pushed man then at his handlers.

"Heh, hello folks." Arin waved lightly.

They kept getting curious but nice looks as Barry rubbed his arm.

“Friendly…” Arin smirked.

"Oh boy..." Barry mumbled, afraid of a repeat from before.

Suddenly some kids ran up to them as they gathered around the wagon.

"Hi!" A little girl said to Dan.

“H-H-Hello…” Dan muttered.

"I like your hair." The girl said sweetly.

“Oh...um...t-t-t-thanks.” Dan blinked.

Arin smirked a bit at the display, as a few people curiously glanced at the three.

“You guys new here?” the girl asked.

“Uh, yeah. Just visiting.” Arin said.

“This is a little weird.” Barry whispered to Arin.

“Shh…” Arin replied as more people gathered around.

"He looks so interesting..." Some woman whispered in the crowd, as a few people nodded.

Dan twiddled his fingers, feeling unsure about this.

Were they saying bad things? Or was that just his imagination?

Arin thought for a moment, no one seemed to be looking for a fight; rather they were intrigued at the new faces, and the curiousness of Dan.

“There's something about him, I can't put my finger on it…” someone said.

“Um, what do you mean, sir? He's just a...simple wagon-bound fellow, not like anyone hasn't seen that already…” Barry said, trying not to sound uneasy.

Some kids began to rub Dan’s hair as one tugged at his blanket. Arin watched, as the kid pulled a bit off, revealing a bit of Dan's blue scales.

“Woah!” A kid smiled.

The crowd gasped.

At first, Arin was nervous, but then bent forward to the kids, suddenly seeing their excited faces.

“He’s so cool!” A boy said as some people gathered around the wagon now.

Arin bit his lip, then leaned in near Dan "Hey...Whatever happens, don't panic, okay?"

Dan nodded slowly as one man came up to the siren. Arin stood up in surprise as tge guy removed the blanket as Dan’s tail swished a bit from its freedom.

The crowd gasped in amazement, as they circled the group, chattering in wonder.

Dan blushed a bit, unsure of what to do.

"A real live siren?! In all my years..." Someone stated.

Dan blushed bright red, hiding his face in his hands from all the attention.

"He's beautiful!" A girl called from the back.

“I don’t think Dan can handle all the attention.” Barry muttered.

“Yeah... this is nice, but...how exactly do we get out of this mess of people?” Arin frowned.

“Alright, alright, move please! That's right move your- I see you there, don't fucking move!” someone in an angry Irish accent said as they moved through the crowd.

Arin blinked in surprise to see the owner of the voice.

He was a little bit short, or at least shorter than Arin, with cryptic blue eyes and an unusual top of green hair. He made his way to the front, and immediately looked at the guys in excitement “Holy shit...Arin and Barry!”

“Jack?!” Arin gasped.

“Yeah man! Holy shit, how’d you get all the way over here?” Jack said, grinning wide.

“Well we-” Arin began before more people kept coming closer to Dan.

Jack saw this and immediately began to shoo the people away. “Alrighty people back up! Give the man-siren-uh...guy, some space to breathe.”

They didn't seem to listen as they came closer again.

“Alright, fuck.” Jack then pulled out his pistol and shot it up in the air, making the people gasp and stay still.

A few moments of dead silence went by as Jack put his gun back in his pocket “There, that's better. Maybe let's talk somewhere a bit more, private.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that my friends; is how you introduce yourself into the story XD
> 
> Top of the morning to ya laddies, JACKSEPTICEYE HAS ARRIVED!


	32. Jack's Keeping an Eye Out

Jack lead Arin, Dan and Barry down the street, as a few more people gawked in amazement of Dan. While this happened, the siren covered his already red face in his hands, making some girls giggle with amusement.

“I don’t think Dan can deal with so much attention.” Barry whispered to Jack.

“Ah well don’t worry. Once we get to my shop, we’ll be away from the paparazzi.” Jack assured.

“You have a shop now?” Arin blinked.

“Yeah! Me and J-...ALRIGHT PEOPLE BACK UP, LET US GO INSIDE IN PEACE, PLEASE. DON'T MAKE ME USE MY PISTOL AGAIN.” Jack yelled at the crowd of people. They in turn looked at him, and fanned out.

“Good.” Jack grumbled.

Once they reached the end of the street, Jack went up to a small closed building and began to look through a set of keys. The building was quant, though not at all fitting the style of everything else in the town. It was painted a light green, with nice shutters and a single sign on the door “J and J’s Emporium”.

“You own a gift shop?” Arin questioned.

“EMPORIUM. Why does everyone say that...but yes. Basically. Me n’ my partner opened it here after some convincing landowners said this was a great spot.” Jack replied, pulling out the right key and twisting the knob on the door.

Walking inside, the shop appeared to still be in move-in shape; crates and clothes covering random areas of the room and no merchandise to be seen.

“Mind the mess, we haven’t unpacked everything yet.” Jack said, as Barry almost knocked over a few window mannequins in a line.

Dan kept hiding his face which was blushing red.

“You okay, buddy?” Arin giggled, placing his hand on Dan’s shoulder.

Jack laughed "Well, your friend here has quite the sexiness factor, doesn't he?"

Dan mumbled nonsense, very flustered.

Arin laughed "God, he's like a prince here."

“Do they like sirens or something?” Barry guessed.

"Oh yeah! Any kinda mythical creature, they all go gaga over." Jack replied as he closed his shop door.

“What do they do? Like will Dan get mobbed?” Barry shivered.

"Nah, they just get all excited and flabbergasted like idiots." Jack giggled. “Then they like...have a party or something for you? I wouldn’t know, I was just told this when I moved in.”

“A party?” Dan mumbled.

“Yeah. Apparently it’s called ‘the Mystic Harvest’?” Jack remembered.

“Sounds very mystical.” Arin joked.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ross and Brian navigated their way through the town, holding onto the Penguin’s map tightly.

“How the hell are you even find these guys, this town isn’t exactly small.” Brian said.

“Relax. We just need to ask around.” Ross replied.

“Oh yeah, and people will say exactly who they are?” Brian raised an eyebrow.

Ross ignored him as he tapped a random person’s shoulder “Excuse me; you wouldn’t happen to know where a tall group of dudes are. One might be limping for….reasons.”

The person looked at Ross oddly and walked off.

“See?” Brian sighed.

“Well someone’s gotta know where they might be! Maybe if we check the bar?” Ross suggested.

“This was a waste…” Brian grumbled.

“No, look!” Ross whispered, tugging Brian’s shirt. The assassin glared at him before looking to see what Ross was pointing at. Indeed, a group of three guys were conversing, as one began to walk over to them….with a limp.

~~~~~~~~~~

“So you and your partner set up a shop here?” Dan asked.

“Yep! Me and Jon. He’s a great guy.” Jack replied.

“Where IS Jon anyway? It’s been years since I’ve seen him.” Barry asked.

“Oh, probably on some excursion of his own. He does a lot of traveling, selling things and all that. Right now, he’s over in Cape Caddy. Or at least, that’s what I heard last.” Jack stated.

“Who’s Jon?” Dan questioned, as Arin very faintly looked to the left.

“You haven’t met Jon?” Jack asked.

“Well no. I don’t talk to people much. Plus, I’ve been in the ocean sooo…” Dan replied.

“Oh right. Well, Jon was an old buddy of ours.” Barry explained. “Him, Jack, Jared, and a few others were on the boat with us.”

“We kinda branched off after a few years, though.” Jack added.

“Why’s that?” Dan blinked.

“Wanted to explore new places. See new things...all that…” Jack said, though he sounded a bit sad at the end.

Arin was messing with his coat helm quietly.

Dan then connected the pieces “...Oh...well...it’s nice you guys get to see each other again. I bet you missed one another.”

“Yeah. We did.” Jack giggled, ruffling Barry’s hair. “How’s the acting coming along?”

“Pretty well, actually….” Barry began, as Dan tapped Arin’s arm.

“You okay?” Dan blinked with his big blue and green eyes.

“Hm?...Oh yeah...I’m good.” Arin replied, showing a small smile.

“Y-You wanna go find that marsh...stuff?” Dan asked.

Arin shrugged as he spoke “Hey Jack, is there a candy shop nearby? Dan’s been yearning to try a marshmallow.”

“Uh-Yes there is! It’s back up the street and to the...left I think; past the grocer. But if you want, I can buy. Though, I'm a bit short, new shop and all."  Jack replied.

“Well Dan has to have his candy fix.” Barry teased.

Jack grinned "Alright, best not to keep him from that. Onwards, men. To candy!”


	33. Advertencia

Jack then let them out of the shop, whilst using his broom to keep any passer bys from herding the group.

"Alright you fuckin’ weirdos, back! Back, I say!" 

The people seemed to be some distance away, but that didn’t stop their glares at the siren in the wagon. 

“Sheesh, these folks. Didn’t think they’d be this clingy…” Jack commented.

“I guess they’re just amazed by Dan still.” Barry replied.

“I suppose.” Arin nodded, looking down the street towards the candy shop Jack described before. Yet the crowd behind him made Arin become quite paranoid “You think they’ll lay off when we get inside?”

“Who knows.” Barry shrugged.

Jack then tapped his chin as he turned around and exclaimed to the people behind them “Hey, um...d-don’t you people have a party to be hosting? Some, Mystic Harvest or something?”

The people then immediately talked in agreement as the crowds began to break apart and go separate ways in a flash.

“There! Problem solved!” Jack grinned with pride.

~~~~

“That’s the guys, Brian!” Ross whispered, watching the group of thugs from before talking amongst themselves.

“So...now what?” Brian raised an eyebrow.

“Now, we get ‘em.” Ross replied, pulling out his small dagger from his back pocket.

“Ross…” Brian stopped him, taking the dagger. “We don’t need this.”

“Ah I got you, fists first.” Ross smirked.

"Do we need to do this?" Brian questioned.

"Yeah..." Ross replied.

Brian sighed, watching the guys behind the wall. Ross grinned with anticipation, ready to kick some ass….

Until a thought came up.

….What would this even accomplish?

He’d fight them, sure. He’d get the vengeance...but then what? 

Ross blinked, trying to push the thought away. But it kept nagging at him.

Ross bit his lip “...Brian..”

“Hm?”

“...W...What are we even doing…?”

“What do you mean, you came over here to this place to get revenge on those guys. Like you said.”

“No I know, but…”

There was silence between them.

“....You don’t feel right about it.”

“...No I don’t.”

Brian glanced at Ross then to the thugs. 

“...I came all this way.” Ross sighed.

Brian then pulled Ross back to face him. The assassin looked at him cryptically.

“Ross...do you want to fight these men?”

Ross looked back at the group then to Brian.

“....No…”

“...Then let’s go.”

Ross nodded, as Brian and him began to walk back slowly towards the town square. As they walked past, bushels of people were gathering decorations in blue as Ross raised an eyebrow “...What exactly is all this about?”

“Could be some...holiday or something…” Brian guessed.

Ross then tapped a girl on the shoulder “Um excuse me...what’s with all the decorations and everything?”

She grinned “Oh! You’ve come in time for the Mystical Harvest, sir. It’s the celebration that happens when a mythical creature comes to grace us.”

“Mythical creature?” Ross tilted his head. “I didn’t see one, though.”

“Silly, it was your friend in the wagon!” The girl replied.

Ross blinked in mild shock, as Brian raised an eyebrow.

“Y-You guys know he’s a siren?” Ross questioned.

“Yes! Which is why we prepare for the harvest! Your friend is the honored guest!” The girl stated.

“Guest of honor...for what exactly?” Brian mumbled.

“Well, it’s as the legend goes; when a mythical creature enters our humble town, we all must prepare for the blessings it will bestow on us once the ceremonies are completed.” The girl explained.

“C-Ceremonies?” Ross frowned.

“Of course! The Kelpie that started the tradition said to the founders of this place ‘Take thine steel and blade, take life of a sea creature arrayed.”

Ross’ skin turned a shade whiter.

“Wait, wait, so...you’re…” Brian whispered.

The girl gave him a smile.

 

**“Your friend will be the lifter of the curse, good sir.”**

  
  


~~~~

 

“Oh whoa...some of these candies I’ve never even heard of before.” Barry grinned, looking through the jars of candy lined on the shelves.

“Alright, well let’s get some.” Arin replied, looking at the flavored fruit and cakes on the counters.

“Any new ones in stock?” Jack questioned. The person at the counter nodded, and handed Jack a striped red and white candy cane.

“Ooo, nice! I heard these are all the rage in Germany.” Barry smiled, taking a candy cane from the counter.

Dan looked at the jar of marshmallows on the shelf with wide eyes. Arin turned, seeing his interest. He lightly took the jar from the top and went to the counter. “How much for the marshmallows?”

“About 2 silver pieces.” The person answered.

“That much?!” Arin blinked.

“They’re not known to most of the world yet. So the price is high.”

Arin bit his lip before glancing at Dan. Then he pulled out some silver pieces “I’ll take the whole jar, please.”

Once they were finished, Arin pulled out the fluffy candy from the jar and handed it to Dan. 

“You ready?” Arin asked.

Dan looked at it suspiciously before putting it fully into his mouth. He blinked in surprise.

“Good?” Arin questioned.

Dan, who couldn’t speak due to so much in his mouth, giggling as he nodded.

“Yay, Dan likes the candy!” Barry exclaimed.

“This calls for a celebration. How’s about dinner back at the ship?” Arin volunteered.   
The guys nodded as they went back towards the port, briefly taking note of the blue streamers lined up on the street side. 

**They looked very pretty….**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....
> 
> (music of choice: Dark Creepy Ambient Music #40 - Suspicious Steam (Flowing Downwards) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nwuDk7V2ow )
> 
> ((look up "advertencia" ))


	34. In the Tub

**_“Your friend will be the lifter of the curse, good sir.”_ **

 

“W….What…” Ross blinked in disbelief, backing up gently.

“Ross, we need to go.” Brian grumbled, grabbing Ross’ shirt. The girl looked puzzled “What’s the rush?”

“We need to go...find our friends.” Brian stated as he yanked Ross back.

“Oh but your friends are going to be gathered to the square, sillies.” The girl giggled.

“Which is why, we gotta go, excuse us…” Ross rasped, as Brian began to pull him down the streets quickly.

The girl looked oddly at them.

 

….

 

Then she blinked.

“THEY’RE GOING TO STEAL THE SIREN!”

 

~~~~~

 

“Nice cooking, Barry. It was really good.” Jack complimented as Barry added more potatoes to his own plate.

“Aw thanks. I’m not that great though…” Barry blushed.

“Nah man, take credit. You did do good.” Arin smiled, seeing Dan nodding as he stuffed a few more marshmallows into his mouth.

“Slow down, man. You'll get a stomachache from too many." Arin stated.

“Nuh uh.” Dan protested with a mouthful.

Arin rolled his eyes "Deny all you want, but I'm telling you, it'll happen."

“At this rate, he’ll be stuffed to the top.” Jack teased.

“Says you.” Dan retorted playfully.

“Ross would be loving this.” Barry said, cleaning up a few dishes.

“Yeah...where IS Ross? And Brian? I haven’t seen them all day.” Arin frowned.

“Well they had a thing they wanted to do. Maybe it’s taking longer than we thought.” Barry shrugged.

“If that’s the case, they’d have been back by now…” Arin replied.

“I’ll go look for ‘em if you want.” Jack offered.

“You sure? I-” Arin began before he heard Dan groan a bit. The captain turned to see Danny slightly holding his stomach with a frown.

“...Stomachache?”

“Stomachache.”

“Gotcha. Alright, you guys go check on Ross and Brian. I’ll get Dan up to his tub for the night.” Arin stated, getting up from his chair.

Jack and Barry nodded as they got up and went out the door. Dan groaned a bit more.

“Come on, buddy. Let’s get you to bed.” Arin said lightly, pulling the wagon down the hall.

“Nnnnnn…” Dan moaned.

“I know I know...just hang in there.” Arin assured, getting the wagon into the bathroom with ease. The siren inside looked very drained.

“Aaariiinnn…it hurts…” Dan whined.

“Aw man, I’m sorry. Here, let me get you some water.” Arin offered, getting glass and pouring some water inside it. He gave it to Dan, who drank a bit before handing it back.

“Any better?” Arin asked. However the siren shook his head.

“Aw...hey, come here…” Arin said, gently rubbing Dan’s back. He bit his lip as he stood up “Maybe if you get into the tub, it might help.”

Dan nodded as Arin began to carefully lift the sick siren into his arms. His neck hairs lifted slightly as he carried him towards the filled tub, and gently put it in the water. Dan looked a bit pale as he let out a sigh.

“Is the water helping?” Arin asked.

Dan simply shrugged.

“I'm sorry. Stomachaches are assholes.” Arin replied, patting Dan’s back.

“Arin…” Dan mumbled.

“Hm?”

“W….Would you...hold me please?” Dan whispered.

Arin blinked as he very gently tried to hug the siren. However it was a bit awkward with the rim of the tub dividing them both.

“Uhh…” Arin muttered.

“Oh…” Dan blinked.

Arin’s cheeks grew pink “H-How exactly…?”

Dan lightly shrugged as he mumbled shyly “Y...You could come inside the tub?”

Arin’s face grew redder as he blinked.

Get...in??

"You don't have to if you don't want to..."

“No...umm….uh...o-okay….”

Arin blushed harder as he gently stepped into the tub and sat down in the water. It felt very odd stepping in, as his clothes quickly were drenched and stuck onto his skin. He shivered from the warm water as he looked at Dan from the opposite side of the tub with a awkward smile. "Gah...this feels really weird..."

“You okay?” Dan let out a weak giggle.

Arin squirmed a bit, the water sticking more to his arms and chest “Ah...heh...yeah…”

Dan glanced over to the captain, lightly raising an eyebrow “You’re moving like a fish out of water.”

"Coming from the fish IN water." Arin giggled.

“Oh ha ha. You’re just the joke master today, aren’t you?” Dan teased.

"That I am, good sir." Arin smiled.

Dan rolled his eyes lightly as he ruffled his hair which Arin noticed. "Your stomach feeling any better?" Arin inquired.

“A little bit.” Dan admitted.

"Ah, good." Arin nodded, leaning back a bit on the tub, and gave the siren a warm smile.

Dan looked away, blushing a touch as he sighed. Arin frowned "What?"

“N-Nothing...just...nothing…” Dan lied.

Arin raised an eyebrow, as he sat back up "No, something's bothering you."

“Well...I just...s-spending time with you is pretty nice...and I just noticed…” Dan blushed.

Arin's cheeks grew pink, as he came a bit closer to the siren "...Noticed?"

“I…..I just noticed how much I...I enjoy our time together…” Dan blushed heavily.

Arin giggled nervously "Well....I do too...it's... it's been fun..."

“Yeah…” Dan whispered, twirling his hair in his fingers.

Arin felt a wave of goosebumps; not just from the chill of water down his spine.

He looked at Dan’s blue and green eyes, they looked almost blended together like a chrysocolla gem. Alluring but calming.

Dan looked at Arin, his light brown eyes sparkled back at him. Dark and mysterious, yet comforting and sweet.  


"Do you mind if, I sit a little closer?" Arin squeaked.

Dan blushed “.....G-Go ahead…”

 

Arin then came within inches, and sat himself next to Dan, nessling into the space on Dan's left side. Dan was speechless, as he suddenly felt quite hot somehow. Arin then leaned back; he silently felt a chill from his neck touching Dan's arm behind him.

“Oh g-...” Arin mumbled nervously.

“No no...it’s fine…” Dan whispered.

Arin let out a sigh as Dan very faintly leaned his head on Arin’s shoulder.

The two sat silently in the bath, Arin slowly began to relax. Dan looked tiredly at Arin as he closed his eyes and began to nod off as they stayed there.

'God...this is....I don't know...' Arin thought to himself.

After a while, Arin then heard soft breathing. He noticed Dan had fallen asleep, lightly leaning against his shoulder.

Arin sighed a bit, his mind in loops as he tried to focus his thoughts.

He kept looking at Dan, noting that he looked cute when he slept. But that was what made Arin frown; why DID he think that? What was happening here? Did….did he have feelings for Dan? Dan was his friend, and he only knew him for a good few months.

 

But...what did come from knowing someone only that long? The reasonable answer would be having just a friendly relationship.

 

But...what if he did feel a certain way? Or was this just a strange phase?

 

He thought back, recalling every single moment they had spent together.

He did enjoy spending time with Dan and his mind focused on that time they fell onto the floor. The entrancing eyes, the touch of Dan's hair falling gently onto Arin's skin, feeling Dan's heartbeat against his chest. Arin blinked in surprise, all of those thoughts….they couldn’t just be friendly.

  
Arin felt a wave of goosebumps form on his arms, as he rubbed his face exhaustingly. Was it true? Did he like Dan?....It sure seemed that way.

 

**".....GUYS!!!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back again! yay lol  
> it's been a while since I updated, huh? I'm sorry about it DX  
> But I really wanna keep updating because there's a lot in store :3
> 
> ((Music of choice for the bath scene: In The Tub from Big Fish (which is what the scene is based of off)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sQLG8HnODU ))


	35. A Siren's Strength

 

“ **GUYS**!!!” Barry’s voice echoed as Arin jumped up in surprise, breaking out of his thoughts.

Dan blinked as he rubbed his sleeping eyes “Wha? What is...?”

Arin was about to yell back before Barry’s voice screamed,

“GUYS! HELP US!!”

Arin rushed out of the tub as Dan merely watched him bolt out the door. The captain darted up the deck, seeing both Barry and Brian holding out their swords as they were running up the docks.

“The fuck’s happening?” Arin gasped.

“THEY WANT DAN!!” Barry cried.

Arin's eyes widened when the growing sounds of a crowd yelling came into range. He suddenly saw Ross and Jack darting up the dock as well.

“ARIN!! HIDE HIM! THEY WANT TO GET HIM, ARIN! THEY’RE CRAZY!” Ross yelled.

“GET UP TO THE BOAT!! GO GO GO!” Jack hollered, pulling out his pistol.

The group bolted up the gangplank and onto the boat, heaving and out of breath. Ross turned back to the town; what he saw made his eyes widen in fear “Arin, look!”

Arin looked up as he let out a nervous “OH SHIT!”

The townspeople, now in hordes of pure anger, came racing down the path with torches, guns and swords.

“W-What the living hell?!” Jack gasped.

“They wanted Dan for some sick sacrifice, and now they're gonna come for him!!” Ross explained.

Arin rushed off to find Dan, running back into the bathroom as the siren looked at him in concern.

“Arin, wha-” Dan started before Arin cut him off.

“Dude, we-we gotta get out of here!” Arin stammered.

“Why?” Dan frowned.

“Something’s up with the people, they’re coming for you!” Arin said, suddenly lifting Dan out of the tub and into his arms.

“What do you mea- Arin?!” Dan blinked.

“No time, we gotta go!” Arin said frantically.

“Arin! I can help!” Dan replied.

“How do you-” Arin began before Ross came screaming in terror down the hall.

“What happened?!” Dan asked.

“THEY’RE ON THE DECK!!” Ross cried out.

The sounds of people flooding the ship's deck filled their ears, it was like a thunderstorm right above them.

Dan gripped Arin's shirt “Arin, you gotta listen to me. Let me handle them.” Dan urged.

“Dan, t-they might hurt you!” Arin warned.

“No they won’t.” Dan said.

“How do you know that?!” Arin replied.

“Just trust me! I've done this before.” Dan stated.

“But….” Arin’s eyes darted from Dan to the doorway.

“Just trust me.” Dan told him calmly.

After a few moments of silence Arin frowned, but then nodded slowly as he ran out to the top of the ship with Dan in his arms.

Back on the deck, Jack was trying to shoot some of the crazy people down as Brian backed up a bit.

“These fuckers are nuts!” Jack cried.

A few trigger happy people started to shoot back as they ducked for cover.

Barry swung his sword at them, as did Ross, to keep them at bay.

“Guys, we can't keep this up long!!” Barry yelled.

“Well what the fuck do we do?!” Ross retorted.

Dan and Arin made it up to the deck as Dan demanded,

**“Cover your ears!”**

Arin bit his lip but then shouted “You heard the man, cover your ears!”

The crew looked at them in confusion before they covered their ears while Dan covered Arin’s so he could still hold him up. Dan’s eyes then glowed a dark red as he let out a haunting and intimidating siren scream.

It almost pulsed through the crowd; the people surrounding the crew stopped in their tracks, suddenly fearful of the noise.

“Back up! Back the fuck up!” Arin yelled through the noise, as he started to walk steadily towards them with a determined smug on his face “Yeah that’s right, you fuckers! Back!”

The people began to nervously step away and soon, the mad crowd began to run back down the dock like scared dogs.

The group grinned in satisfaction; even Jack yelled out with a smirk “Ha! THAT’S RIGHT YOU SUCKERS! We showed you! Taste it!”

Dan’s scream softened until he finally stopped once all the townsfolk had run back into town. That was when he removed his hands off of Arin's ears, as did everyone else.

A brief silence fell before Ross broke it “Did we win?”

“Yeah! Dan scared ‘em off with those lungs of his!” Jack laughed.

“Woohoo!” Barry cheered, giving Ross a high five.

“That was crazy! But awesome!” Jack exclaimed.

“How’d you do that?” Arin blinked.

“I’m a lovely but dangerous creature.” Dan shrugged.

Brian looked a bit happy himself, or as happy as an assassin could be, as he nodded to Dan “Um...good work I guess.”

Dan smiled at the compliment.

Jack ran to the edge of the deck and yelled out to the townspeople lingering on the dock “THAT'S RIGHT FUCKERS! YOU LOST AND WE WON! HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT?!”

“So you can do that siren scream anytime?” Arin guessed.

“Sort of.” Dan said.

“I told Jon we shouldn’t have set up shop here. But noooo, he wanted to be close to the beach. We live on fucking islands for God’s sake!”  Jack complained.

“Wait, there's still people over on the dock.” Barry pointed out.

“Eh, they're too scared to come back on the ship.” Ross laughed.

“What are they doing with those torches?” Brian questioned.

“Huh?” Jack blinked as the group watched the people suddenly take torches and toss them onto Jack's shop; setting it instantly in flames.

.......

There was an awkward silence….

“...Sorry Jack.” Dan frowned.

Jack pouted as he sighed “It’s alright. I mean...we can always move. Just not sure how Jon’s gonna react that his whole freaking shop burned to a crisp.”

“He’ll get over it.” Arin sighed.

“Have you SEEN Jon lately? I wouldn’t be too sure.” Jack smirked.

They watched as the building became a massive bonfire.

“Well I hope you find somewhere to go, man.” Ross told Jack.

“Yeah...you wouldn’t mind...since you know, my house is gone...I can bunk with you guys till you guys port again? If not, that’s fine, I can just get a dingy.” Jack asked.

“Well we’re kinda heading off somewhere, I think something good could be North.” Arin explained.

“I’ll take it, it’s a yes?” Jack smiled.

“Sure, we’d be happy to have you along.” Arin nodded.

Jack grinned “Ah perfect! And hey, maybe you're right. Jon won’t be too upset, right?”

“Sure, he’ll a tough dude.” Arin smiled.

With that, the crew got everything ready and sailed off for the North, leaving the crazy town behind and far from their memories.

 

Ross pulled out the map from his pocket.

  
And ripped it in half.


	36. The Thespian

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! This chapter is actually a backstory chapter; about our favorite Barricorn lol the chapter following this is gonna be HUGELY plot changing so best to enjoy the calm before the storm amiright

“Again! From the top!” A loud voice echoed through the empty theatre house as a tall assertive man dressed in an expensive waistcoat and breeches paced back and forth on the stage.

The young theater thespians in line nodded nervously as one took a step forward and recited her lines.

From the empty theatre seats, two boys watched intentively, whispering to one another as the actors practiced.

“So, remind me again why we’re doing this?” One boy asked, moving his wet brown hair behind his ear.

His friend adjusted his glasses “What does it look like? We’re trying to find some new crewman, dude.”

The brunette heaved “Why here, though? There’s no one even remotely capable of fighting. Or being a pirate. They’re all prissy and stuck up.”

“Would you rather go back towards town? Those guys are worse.” His friend replied.

“At least they can hold weapons, Mark.” The brunette stated.

“Arin, sometimes you find the best in the most unlikely of places.” Mark shrugged.

“Pfff, yeah right.” Arin mumbled, sinking into his seat.

Mark watched intentively at the actors, trying to see if any could fit his description of a good pirate. Only he, Ross and Arin were the only three in their crew, and Mark had dragged Arin along through town to find a good candidate. However, this theatre was the only spot left for finding anyone. If they didn’t come up with another member soon, this could very well be a lost cause.

“NO NO NO IT’S ALL WRONG!” The teacher hollered, as the actress cowered.

Mark frowned, as the teacher cleared his throat “You can not get it right! None of you can! Shakespeare would very well have risen from his grave just so he could die again from your horrendous acting!”

“What a dick.” Arin mumbled, earning a giggle from Mark.

“Now, recite!” The teacher said, pointing to a young boy dressed in a simple satin shirt and vest with purple breeches.

The boy looked meekly at the teacher, rubbing his arm as he nodded.

“Oh geez, this guy’s gonna get roasted.” Arin whispered.

Mark shrugged “Maybe.”

The young boy cleared his throat as he positioned himself. In a brief moment of silence, he began to speak. Eyeing the make-believe crowd, the boy let his passionate feelings written on the paper come alive as he boldly stated;

“The gods do this in shame of cowardice: Caesar should be a beast without a heart, If he should stay at home to-day for fear .No, Caesar shall not: danger knows full well. That Caesar is more dangerous than he: We are two lions litter'd in one day, And I the elder and more terrible: And Caesar shall go forth.”

Mark and Arin blinked in surprise, as did the stuck up teacher and the other actors. They watched as the boy looked triumphant and completely immersed in his role.

He finished his audition with a bow, as the others and even Mark and Arin clapped for him.

The teacher was shocked, as he immediately pulled down his waistcoat awkwardly “Hm..well...that was surely something. What is your name, my boy?” The young man meekly smiled “B-Barry, sir…”

~~~

After the auditions were done, Barry was taken aside by the teacher. “My dear Barry. What you showed up on my stage, was more devotion to a role than I have seen in quite a while.” 

Barry blushed “R-Really?” 

“Of course! I wouldn’t call it anything less of exemplary.” The teacher said. 

Barry blinked as he meekly rubbed his arm. 

“How long have you been in the arts, boy?”  The teacher asked. 

“A-Almost all my life, sir.” Barry replied. 

“I see.Well lthe theatre could use someone of your talents.” The teacher stated. 

Barry blinked “S-So I’m in?” 

“Well...I wouldn’t say that.” He replied. 

Barry frowned “What do you mean?” 

“See, we have another candidate in the running for our lead. But you come up a strong competitor. So, if you can return to the audition tomorrow morning, and really impress me, I will think about giving you the role.” The teacher stated. 

Barry grinned wide “Oh my gosh, t-this is such an honor! I-I won’t let you down, sir!” 

Barry then sprinted for the door, giddy and excited for his new role. Meanwhile Mark and Arin leaned against the wall of the theatre, discussing what they saw. 

“Well...what did you think, dude?” Arin questioned. 

Mark pondered “I-I really like the Barry kid.”

“Dude, he’s just an actor.” Arin blinked. 

“I-I don’t know Arin. I have this feeling in my gut, that he’s much more than that.” Mark said. 

“What are you, a fortune teller?” Arin teased.

Mark laughed “No, I just...I don’t know man. But I kinda wanna ask him.” 

“Fine be my guest. My bets are no.” Arin said.

As if on cue, Barry came running past the two, as Mark blinked in surprise. 

“There he is, hey kid!” Mark called, trotting after him as Arin followed. 

Barry skidded to a stop as he curiously turned around. 

“Hey, um...we saw your acting in there. You were really good.” Mark complimented. 

Barry grinned “Thank you, I worked really hard on that.” 

“I’m Mark, and this is my friend Arin.” Mark stated, as Arin simply nodded. Barry smiled “Well...n-nice to meet you two.” 

“I wanted to ask...this is kinda odd seeing as how we don’t know each other. But...I’m starting a group. And I was hoping someone with your skills, would want to join us?” Mark asked. 

Barry blinked “Group?” 

“Of...umm…” Mark mumbled before Arin bluntly stated 

“Pirates.” 

Barry’s face turned a shade of white “P-Pirates?” 

Mark began “See, we were looking for recruits and-” 

“Then why me? Why not someone with...I don’t know…’pirating skills’ or something?” Barry questioned. 

“We’ve talked with a lot of the guys in town. They don’t wanna fight or they can’t fight for shit.” Arin stated. 

“And what makes you think I can do that?” Barry frowned.

"Well see-" Mark began.

"I'm sorry, you got the wrong guy. I'm not the fighting, or 'pirating' type..." Barry gulped.

“Look, we were just...trying to find a new partner.” Mark shrugged. 

“Well, you clearly aren’t good judges of character. I’m not interested.” Barry stated.

Mark blinked and sadly nodded “Right...sorry…” 

“Come on man…” Arin mumbled, making Barry’s mouth drop. “You seriously think you can just go up to anyone and ask them to be some pillaging psycho?! I know what pirates are capable of, and I know damn well their last minutes are always on the noose. I have better things to do with my time.” 

Arin frowned “Yo, chill out man. We were only asking.” 

“Well, I’m not doing it. So you can leave me alone.” Barry frowned deeply. 

“Hey, he was just going with his gut. No need to get pissy, you ass.” Arin growled. 

Barry’s eyes grew wide as he yelled “How dare you?!” 

“I’m just being honest.” Arin furrowed his brow. 

Barry then suddenly came forward and shoved Arin hard onto the ground. Arin landed with a thud then immediately went after Barry. Mark stepped back “Guys, stop!” Arin and Barry began to push and punch one another on the dirt, as Mark tried to intervene. “Arin! Enough!” Mark barked. 

Arin shoved Barry off him, as he wiped off some blood from his lip. Barry stood back up, his clothes covered in mud. “Now leave me alone. And don’t ask me again to join your stupid crew!” 

Mark pulled up Arin by the arm “Got it…”

Barry frowned as he turned and ran off.

Arin’s teeth were clenched from his anger “What the fuck?! I should’a punched him straight in the mouth for that.” Mark gave him an annoyed look “Calm down…” 

Arin frowned at him.

~~~~

Barry paced his room as he read his book. He cleared his throat a few times, as he stood in his position. 

“Thou hadst, and more, Miranda. But how is it. That this lives in thy mind? What seest thou else. In the dark backward and abysm of time?...” Barry stated, but he slowly began to falter at the end. 

His mind was slowly beginning to sidetrack...Barry shook his head, continuing 

“If thou remember'st aught ere thou camest here...I-If thou remember’st…” 

He stopped, rubbing his neck. Barry sighed, sitting down on his bed. Why was this eating at him? Was it how he acted? Well, that boy Arin picked a fight. But, what about everything else? Pirating? That wasn’t his style...was it? He had strived for that audition for months. Years almost. It was his dream to be on stage, amid thousands of people, performing like a true thespian. What did that Mark guy see in him? He was an actor...not a pirate. Right? 

Barry needed some air. 

Barry grabbed his jacket and walked outside, taking in the brisk cold December air. 

His breath hung in the air momentarily as he looked up at the sky. 

His mind was in loops as he held tightly to the pockets of his coat. 

“Hey.” A voice said, as Barry turned. 

It was Arin, lightly shaking from the cold as he walked towards him; the cut clearly visible on his lip still. 

Barry looked away lightly “Hello…” 

Arin sighed a bit as he came a bit closer “Sorry...for calling you an ass.” 

Barry shrugged lightly “....It’s fine…” 

Arin and Barry looked up at the sky in silence as Barry raised an eyebrow at Arin’s shivering. 

“What, you don’t have a coat?” Barry asked.

“Uh...heh...not really.” Arin laughed. 

Barry blinked, then took his own jacket off and put it over Arin’s shoulders. 

Arin blushed “Y-You don’t have to…” 

“I know...consider it an apology, for me fighting you…” Barry replied. 

Arin smiled “Well, I gotta admit you got a good punch.” 

Barry giggled as he rubbed his arms. 

Arin cleared his throat “Look, I get why you wouldn’t wanna join us. I mean, you got your acting thing going for you.” 

Barry sighed “I’ve...been trying to get the role as lead actor for months...it’s amazing that the teacher would even think of picking me.”

Arin nodded “Yeah…” 

“...Why does your friend want me as a pirate anyway?” Barry asked. 

Arin shrugged “He said...he saw something in you. Something he couldn’t even figure out. I guess he sees your potential as a great fighter and partner.” 

Barry blinked, letting the air nip his skin. "I'm not though..."

Arin put his hands in his pockets “H-How long have you been at your acting stuff?” 

“Wow, my...my whole life almost...I tried forever to get to where I wanted to be...but I was always denied, either by someone else better or I didn’t fit their standard.” Barry explained. 

Arin nodded “And...this is your big break.”

Barry lowered his head “Maybe…” 

“You’ve kept at it for so long, why are you confident about now being the real deal?” Arin questioned. 

“Well I...I...I mean...I’ve worked hard and I’ve come this far...that should amount to something, right?” Barry said. 

“Yeah...but if you’re always denied every time, what makes you think THIS time will be different?” Arin asked. 

Barry paused. There...wasn't a real reason, was there?

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t achieve what you wanna do. But you’ve been at this for years, and you’ve never gotten the chance you want. It seems...dead end to me…” Arin said. 

Barry sighed “The teacher said he might give me the role...since there was someone else.”

Arin looked at him lightly, taking a breath. “Look, I know changing your mind isn’t gonna work. But...taking chances, sometimes works out more than a set-in-stone plan does.”

Barry frowned “I’ve never done that before. I’ve always had a clear goal…” 

Arin shrugged, lightly taking off the jacket “Thanks. It’s time I get going.” 

Barry took the jacket and blinked “W-Where?”

Arin grinned “Someplace. See ya.” 

Barry watched Arin walk off, as he gripped the collar of his jacket. He looked down at the ground, taking a breath as he contemplated what to do next. He'd probably go inside right about now and practice his lines....though maybe doing something different wouldn't hurt, just this once.

~~~

  
Barry leaned up against the mast, letting the cool sea breeze flow through his hair and shirt. The sky was as blue as a crystal. 

“Yo Barry?” Arin called. 

Barry turned “Yeah?” 

“Dude, you've been just hanging out the whole time. Something up?” Arin asked, walking over to his friend. 

“No, I'm fine...just remembering things.” Barry shrugged. 

Arin leaned up on the mast as well, and sighed. “You wanna talk about it?” He questioned. 

Barry smirked “It’s really not that bad, Arin.” 

“What is it?” Arin urged. 

“I...I guess I'm just thinking about, what could have been? Or, what almost could have been.” Barry replied. 

Arin nodded “Is it good?” 

Barry shrugged “I mean, I suppose. But...it's kinda...lonely.” 

Arin nodded again, as Barry continued “But...I feel better now than I did before.” 

“...Really?” Arin said. 

“Yeah...I do.” Barry agreed, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we know what life for Barry was like before! Sometimes taking chances in life is better than staying still, right? Xp
> 
> Well fasten your seatbelts you guys because the next chapter gets CRAZY.


	37. We've Got Trouble

“Wait so...Marooner's Shore, the town we were in...was cursed?” Arin questioned as Barry read through a few books in his bookself. The crew (plus Jack) all crammed in Barry's cabin patiently while Barry tried to look for an atlas in his library.

“Pretty much.” Barry nodded. "Ross has more info about it."

"Great going, suggesting we go there, Ross." Arin frowned.

"What? I thought I- I mean we- would have found something of value." Ross defended.

"I told him it was stupid." Brian mumbled as Ross bitterly scolded.

“Here let me see.” Barry mumbled then lightly took a small faded purple book from a shelf. Everyone leaned in to see.

“Okay so...from Ross and Brian said, a kelpie with magic, cursed the town for centuries, to go after any mythical creature that comes and…” 

"Let me see?" Dan said lightly, taking the book gently and scanning it. 

Arin still had him in his arms by the way.

"A kelpie, hailing from the east...named...Aodh, meaning fire, was known to swim the regions of Marooner's Shore. Once caught, he cursed the town for their cruelty and..."Dan read, stopping at the end in slight surprise. 

“What?” Jack blinked.

Dan looked a bit seasick as Ross looked at the page.

“They...skin the creature to break the curse.” Ross frowned.

There was a silence.

“They wanted to...” Barry shivered.

" Oh god...that's fucking disgusting..." Jack mumbled.

“Yeah...the spell said by the entity was ‘wear upon thee the skin of the beast, a traitor’s request for those who it seeks’...” Ross continued. 

“Wow.” Barry mumbled, rubbing his chin.

"Thank god we got out of there when we did..." Arin said.

Brian then spoke up “Don’t you feel kinda bad for them, though? It wasn’t their intention to hurt any creature. It’s just a spell they had on them.”

“A little...but they wanted...ewwww.” Ross shivered. 

“Okay okay, I see the big picture. Well, at least your friend Dan wasn’t their next one.” Jack nodded. 

“Yeah, plus he’s pretty tough so I doubt they could’ve hurt him.” Arin smiled. Dan smiled back and blushed a bit.

“He’s so tough, even Brian isn’t intimidating to him anymore.” Ross teased, bumping Brian's shoulder. The assassin rolled his eyes.

"That's because I'm used to him now." Brian shrugged.

"Not because I took out that crowd upstairs?" Dan giggled.

"Don't push your luck, fishbait."

Arin glanced down at the crew as he smiled. It was good seeing them all bonding, it was rare to see even for Arin. 

Sometimes or rather a lot...Arin would find himself gazing at Dan. Arin would then catch himself and clear his throat, leaving behind rose colored cheeks. Arin just couldn’t help it, sometimes the sun would shine on his scales and Arin just felt like some young schoolgirl with a big fat crush. Ugh.

Arin decided to let it be for now. Anymore and he'd make himself sick.

He snapped back to reality as Ross was going on about something, and teasing Brian about it.

Brian glanced at Ross, having a pissed off look in his eyes. “Alright enough, you got your point across…” Brian mumbled. 

“Aw come on Bri, he’s just playing around.” Barry said.

“Well he’s getting on my nerves.” Brian said.

“Your fault for being so soft.” Ross mumbled. 

“And when hasn’t anything gotten on your nerves?” Barry pointed out. 

“Shut up.” Brian grumbled, crossing his arms. 

“Quite the charmer, he is.” Jack whispered to Barry. 

“Oh yeah, ladies just line up for him.” Barry giggled. 

“I’ve had enough of this. Arin, we’re almost heading towards the Western seas.” Brian grumbled. 

“Right….um...we have to go North to get there right?” Arin guessed. 

Brian closed his eyes “Yes.” 

“Just making sure.” Arin shrugged. 

“Wait...where are we going?” Dan gasped. 

“The port near Cape Caddy. That’s west I believe.”  Jack noted. 

“So..we’re going through the Western seas?” Dan blinked. 

“Pretty sure, yeah. We just need to navigate out of Marooner's Shore before we get there.” Brian nodded.

Ross suddely looked a lot paler than usual.

\----

The torn pieces of the map flew off and landed in the sea.

\----

Once everyone got out off Barry's room, they herded into the dock and prepared to set sail.

Dan was silent for a moment as he pushed his wagon near the edge of the boat to glance at the ocean.

Meanwhile no one could be sure, but Ross would scramble around the dock, looking for something clearly not there anymore.

Dan leaned his head on the ship's mahogany body.

Jack was tying down the mast and noticed this as he raised an eyebrow. “Uh, Dan?”  

“Huh?” Dan blinked. 

“You alright?” Jack said as he came next to the siren. 

“Yeah...just...homesick I guess.” Dan sighed.

Jack frowned a bit “I’m sorry about that…” 

“It’s fine…” Dan mumbled. 

Jack nodded, then remembered something “Can I help make you feel better?” 

“I doubt it.” Dan shrugged. 

Jack went into his coat pocket, lightly pulling out a small and strange musical instrument.

Dan turned for a moment and looked at it curiously "What's that?"

"It's a flute. I've been learning to play it for a while." Jack smiled, putting the instrument to his lips as he played a few notes.

It made Dan smile wide.

"Whoa...I've never heard something sound like that before."

Jack giggled "I could teach you too if you're interested."

"Really?" Dan blinked.

"Yeah. Here, try it." Jack offered. Dan took it gently and put his lips to the flute and blew. It squeaked loudly at a strong pitch. Jack laughed out loud.

Dan blushed "Did I break it?"

"No, just needs some practice." Jack grinned.

As the crew resumed their duties, the day began to come to a close as a sunset appeared on the ocean’s surface.  Dan watched it in awe with Jack.

Jack then played [a relaxing song](https://youtu.be/Vjd3klxjXLA) on the flute.

\----

"Brian..." Ross mumbled.

"Yes?" Brian blinked.

"W...We're in deep shit, man." Ross said nervously.

"Why exactly?"

"...The map the Penguin gave us...its gone."

Brian looked at his with dagger like eyes. 

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, GONE?"

Ross gulped hard.

\----

As Brian and Ross frantically (and stealthily) looked for any remnants of the ripped apart map, Arin began to sail into some foggy part of the ocean. Arin frowned “Aw fuck, just what we needed.”

"Relax, it's probably just a patch of fog. It'll pass." Barry said.

"Right..." Arin nodded.

Barry looked around; their surroundings were almost shrouded in complete grey. Only thing they could see was large spiked rocks poking from the sea surface.

"W...We DO know how to navigate this, right Arin?" Barry said.

"Uh...I've never been in this area before...but I'm sure it won't be that hard. It's those rocks we should worry about." The captain replied.

"Yo, Arin! We got more fog coming in." Jack called from the dock.

"Steady as she goes..." Arin called back.

They kept going. The fog, however, just got thicker and thicker.

Barry began to get tense “A-Arin...this reminding you of anything?..”

Arin sighed slowly as he remained strong “J-Just ignore it.”

"Fuckin...Brian, i-it's nowhere, what do we do?" Ross whispered panickingly. 

"Shhh...we just make our way through. Don't panick." Brian advised.

"B...But the Penguin told us the map gives us the safest way out..." Ross mumbled.

"Look, we'll be fine-"

Suddenly a laugh entered everyone’s ears, one that none of them had heard before. Dan shivered lightly as he hugged his arms.

Brian pulled out his cutlass, as Ross and Jack both pulled out their pistols.

“S-Show yourself..." Arin called out from the helm.

The laugh got louder as Dan whimpered in fear.

Arin furrowed his brows “Alright, enough! Come out!”

“Y-Yeah...or else!” Ross added nervously.

_**“What, and ruin the fun?”** _ A deep sultry voice whispered aloud as the group paused.

Dan whimpered loudly as he clutched onto Jack’s arm.

_**“Fresh faces...nice to see you drop by.”**_ The voice echoed as Arin held tightly to the helm.

Dan hid his face behind Jack’s arm, trembling like mad.

Suddenly, as they all looked out at the deck, a small cloud of fog and mist began to form before them.

The voice began to laugh once more, as a long floating smile appeared in the air. Dan let out a scream of fear as Arin frowned. Soon, water splashed on deck as the fog and mist formed together to create a shape.

It formed the shape of a man; "hair" sticking up on his shape, and water beginning to swish and swirl in the body.

The smile from before had appeared, now on a head with two glowing white eyes to match.

“What the hell…” Jack whispered.

Before them all, the sea spirit grinned at the crew  _ **“There...that’s better…”**_

“What….what is that thing?” Ross panicked.

_**"Oh...where are my manners? You may know me as the Mysterious Voice of the Western Seas...the spirit of these waters...** _

_**but I go by...** _

_**Cry…”**  _


	38. Casting A Spell

“What do you want?” Arin asked. The sea spirit loomed on the deck, glaring at the fearful crewmates surrounding him.

 _“ **Nothing much...just that you leave my coves forever.”**_ Cry whispered sinisterly.

“But...we gotta get through here.” Arin frowned.

 ** _“Do the smart thing, and go around…”_** Cry said back.

"What? Are you fucking-" Arin began.

"ARIN." Brian grumbled, eyeing him cryptically.

Arin frowned, as the spirit came right up to him, staring at him with empty white eyes. Arin merely gazed back with a tough resolve as Dan glanced at the two.

“Let us pass, and maybe, we won’t come back.” Arin stated.

“No...no..” Dan whispered to himself.

 ** _“Maybe? So, you’ll try again? Even after I offer you a chance to live, going the other way…”_** Cry growled.

“Seriously Arin, let’s just go around.” Jack said, standing protectively in front of Dan.

“It’ll take us weeks, or even months to go around. Have you seen this fog?” Arin said flatly.

“Well he’s scary, let’s just do what he says.” Barry reasoned.

"R-Right! What Barry said..." Ross mumbled.

“So what if he’s scary? I’ve seen scarier women.” Arin teased.

Dan trembled lightly as Cry caught a glimpse of the siren.

 ** _“Hmm… another creature…”_** Cry then pushed Jack out of the way and came within inches of Dan, putting a cold liquidy hand on his chin.  

**_"Interesting....I've seen your kind here before...they swam away....very far away..."_ **

Arin quickly pulled out his sword and pointed it at the spirit, glaring at him darkly.

"DON'T. TOUCH. HIM."

Cry grinned at his bravery, yet kept his back turned ** _“Touchy, aren’t we?”_ **

Dan shivered instantly as his eyes glowed red, hissing a little.

Cry merely laughed **_“Hissing won’t help you, siren. I’m not afraid of your cheap tactic.”_ **

Arin held his sword out at the spirit as Dan looked away in fear.

 ** _"Such nice eyes...Like your brethren...but destined to kill."_** Cry mumbled, releasing his grip.

Ross backed up as Cry then moved onto Brian standing nearby **_“Hmmm… I’ve seen you before too....but you wouldn’t remember me, you were too small to…”_ **

Brian merely gave him a cold stare, uncaring and not moved by his words. Yet...what the hell did that mean?

Cry scanned the deck, seeing Jack and Barry holding out their weapons nervously.

Cry grinned darkly as he looked at Arin _**“Quite a bunch you have here, Captain...you all seem so tight knitted too…”** _

Arin merely glared at the spirit as Dan trembled some more.

 ** _“Tell you what. I’m a generous sea spirit. Take the offer, and go around...or you might not like me when I’m upset…”_** Cry challenged as he came behind Barry.

Barry jumped in surprise as he went towards Dan and Jack followed.

Ross shivered all over from his spot “A-Arin, listen to the guy.”

Arin glanced back at the crew then back to Cry as he shook his head

“If you had any decency, you’d let us pass. Because I am not going around after I’ve come this far.”

“Arin...please just listen.” Dan whimpered.

Arin frowned as he felt a chill go down his back, like his conscience was telling him to listen. But his pride stood firm. "We went through a fucking crazy ass town full of psycho creature slayers. I don't plan on going back there. And I'm captain. What I say goes."

"Arin...."

Cry glanced between Dan and Arin as an idea formed.

He noticed how Arin stood up for Dan, and only Dan.

It intrigued him; enough to make this a bit interesting.

Cry smiled and made up his mind.

**_“So...what do you say, Captain?”_ **

Arin stood firm and crossed his arms.

Cry snickered **_“I see...standing firm. I would applaud you....but your mistake will cost you more than tattered pride.”_**

“Arin,  just listen before he kills us.” Brian urged.

**_“Oh don’t worry, I won’t kill you...I'LL DO FAR WORSE."  
_ **

Cry then summoned a flood of water to wash out onto the deck, sending everyone onto the floor.

Brian let out a gasp as Ross clung onto him like a child.

Cry rose up from the deck, his face becoming ghostly white as his voice echoed

**_“You have dismissed your chance to turn back...you shall see true pain because of your actions….”_ **

Jack gulped in fear as he readied his gun just in case.

Cry raised his arms up as a gust of wind circled above him, causing lightning and rain to pour onto the ship.

His eyes glowed white.

 ** _"luos suoicerp ruoy yawa laets dna elohw uoy revoc ssenkrad eht leeF"_** He suddenly spoke in reverse.

Arin grabbed onto a rail as Barry called out "ARIN!!! WATCH OUT!"

The captain turned to see a wave come right for him, as it smashed the captain back first into the deck, making him drop to the floor.

Barry slipped and slided over to him, shaking him madly "ARIN?! ARIN!! ARE YOU OKAY?!"

The captain looked up at Barry; a clean cut on his lip and cheek.

**_ "emyhr yltsohg desruc siht ot ,dnim dna sthguoht ruoy lortnoc I" _ **

Brian tried running up to Cry to throw him off, but the sea spirit summoned tentacle-like water and slapped the assassin onto the deck.

It shoved Jack out of the way as the water grabbed Dan tightly by the waist.

“Ah!” Dan cried out.

He pulled him out of his wagon and lifted him up as the siren struggled to escape.

 

**_"Bound to the earth, it shall be his tomb.  
_ **

**_His mind fogged as this endless cove,_ **

**_May he never see the truth of his place,_ **

**_In mystery and misery he will loom."_ **

 

Cry began to say; his eyes turned silver.

 

 

**_"His captain fears nothing, but shall soon._ **

**_Dismissal to change costs you more,_ **

**_than an eternity in shallow graves,_ **

**_Pale and dead like the moon."_ **

 

 

"STOP, PLEASE!!" Dan pleaded.

 

**_"Trouble, you have caused me._ **

**_I take from thee the ability,_ **

**_to be called one of your own kind,_ **

**_Nothing, you shall be,_ **

**_Till you do as I say_ **

**_So it will stay."_ **

 

Cry continued, as he lifted Dan up to his height while wind swirled violently around the two.

“Ah...Ah….” Dan trembled, tears forming.

“DANNY!” Arin cried as he began to run towards the spirit.

“Arin! Help me!” Dan cried.

 

_**"You are nothing, siren...and you always will be...** _

_**nothing. Nothing but a loveless body."** _

 

Suddenly the water surrounding Dan began to enclose him into a cocoon, as Arin reached out for him.

Ross and Barry were speechless and even Brian had wide eyes.

“DAAAAAAN!” Arin screamed extending his hand. Dan fearfully reached out to him, with their hands only inches apart.

Jack aimed his gun for the spirit, trembling with fear.

Cry [began to laugh like a mad man](https://youtu.be/NOIi-kDt3AQ?t=3s) as the water enclosed Dan completely and a wave of water hit the deck.

Ross and Barry held onto each other as Jack stumbled and fell.

Suddenly a flash....

~~~~

Everyone was completely out for a moment before Jack weakly sat up.

The spirit Cry was gone, leaving behind a massive pool of water. The entire ship was in disarray, sails were twisted, parts of the deck and mast were completely broken off.

"*cough*...Y..You guys alright?" Jack asked.

Barry and Ross, who were both tossed under the deck, stood up.

"We're okay...more or less..." Barry replied, sporting a few new bruises, along with Ross who had a massive purple bash on his arm.

Brian rose from the floor, shaking his head lightly. Despite trying to look composed, he also looked worse for wear "Fuck...."

Arin coughed up water as he sat up, letting it all out before frantically looking around for his siren friend “Dan? DAN! Where is he?!”

Jack looked around until he spotted a limp curly haired figure behind a few crates "Over here!"

Jack, Arin, and Brian quickly went over to him, lifting the boxes together and pushing them out of the way.

As they moved the last box...they stopped.

"Dan...."

"O...Oh my god..."

"What the..."

Arin bent down to him, clearing the wet hair from his face, as he noticed small blue freckles on his face instead of scales.

"What's going on?" Ross called.

"Um...s-something...and I'm not sure what...." Jack said.

Barry and Ross raced over and gasped.

“Woah…” Barry mouthed.

“What the fuck?” Ross squeaked.

Everything that scales used to be were replaced with blue freckles or dots.

No more gills.

From the torso down, Dan was no longer himself.

"Arin...what have you done?"

Dan began to stir as he blinked weakly “W-What...happened?”

The group froze, unsure of how to reply to this.

Dan shivered lightly “Arin…”

Arin looked at him nervously “Dan?”

“I...I don’t….m-my head really hurts....”

Arin nodded quickly as he suddenly took off his captain’s jacket and wrapped it over Dan’s shoulders “Okay…”

Dan glanced down as he frowned “Um...are those supposed to go there?”

“What do you mean?” Arin asked.

“Those limb things…” Dan pointed.

“Um...not really, no.” Arin mumbled as he scooped Dan up in his arms.

He was surprisingly lighter now than before, as Arin held onto him, still in confusion about what to do.

“I feel dizzy….” Dan slurred.

"D-Don't worry...come on, we need to get him inside." Arin commanded.

He then took Dan to his cabin while his crew followed.

Their ship sailed through the cove....

a faint satisfied laugh was heard before it disappeared into the sea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Cry laughs in the shadows*  
> Song of choice: Casting a Spell from the Corpse Bride soundtrack, happy halloween ;)  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFqRzqGN0qE


	39. Slipping Away

The group was gathered in the captain's quarters as Dan slept in the large bed in the middle of the room. They had covered the once-siren in a [long orange shirt](https://youtu.be/HG5uLeMIMp4?t=29s) Barry used to own; No one spoke aloud.

They were all too confused and shocked to even speak.

Arin held his head in his hands at his desk chair.

"I can't believe this....ANY...of this..." Ross mumbled.

"H-How...how does this even work?" Barry blinked.

"Cry's one powerful son of a bitch apparently..." Jack stated.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Ross asked.

Jack looked him over and gently touched Dan's forehead.

"He seems alright...but he’s got a bit of a fever.” Jack replied.

Arin heaved “God...what have I done...I did this to him…”

“I told you to listen.” Ross mumbled.

“Well, fuck, Ross! I wasn’t thinking! Alright?!” Arin snapped, standing up and making Ross step back.

“Shush, you’ll wake him up, Arin.” Jack frowned.

“What’s the difference? He’ll wake up, he’ll see his body, he’ll panic!” Arin frowned.

“Arin, calm down.” Barry urged.

“No, Barry! He’s gonna go crazy about these new legs. I-I don’t know how the fuck he’ll be able to handle it…” Arin protested, sitting down in his chair.

Dan then stirred, making everyone tense.

Jack sighed “Nice going.”

Arin shot him a look as he covered his face in shame.

Dan sat up as he blinked in confusion"Guys?...W...What-"

"Uhh...h-hey Dan....what's up?" Ross squeaked.

Dan placed a hand to his head "I-I feel weird...wh...wait..."

Dan then moved his blanket and let out a panicked scream at his discovery.

"Yyyyyeaaaahh..." Ross mumbled.

"W...HOW?! HOW THE FUCK DID I GET THESE LEGS?!" Dan yelled.

"Uhh....that sea prick Cry did that..." Barry replied.

Dan's breathing was quick as he touched his leg very gently and pulled back.

No illusion here, they were real.

"I...I don't know what to say..." Dan mumbled, his eyes growing wide.

“I don’t know man…” Ross replied lightly.

“How do I? How do you use them?” Dan asked nervously.

Arin sunk deeper into the chair.

“Relax Dan, it’s not that hard.” Jack soothed.

"Wha....what do I do?" Dan blinked.

"Here, if you're able, we can help ya out." Jack stated.

Dan looked down at his new extension, and very gently moved a leg. It made him gasp quietly. He moved his other leg slow, until they dangled over the foot of the bed.

Dan moved them around a bit as he blinked in confusion.

"Come on, it's not that hard." Jack motivated.

“It’ll be alright...” Ross sighed.

Dan nodded, lifting himself with his hands as he started to try and stand. He felt the new ton of gravity as he fell a bit forward before Barry and Jack caught him.

“Woah, woah! Alright just...be careful now.” Barry said.

Dan looked down at his new legs, as they wobbled under his weight “These things….this is crazy…”

“I know but they’re not bad completely. Let’s just….teach ya how to walk.” Jack smiled, trying to look on the bright side.

Dan sighed lightly as he moved one leg forward, before he gently fell against Jack.

“It’s alright, ya doing real good. Now you move the other one.” Jack instructed.

Dan nodded, moving the other with less nervousness.

“See? Ya doing so good.” Jack smiled as Dan giggled nervously.

Arin removed his hands from his face, showing his red face. He watched Dan move on the floor; part of him was fascinated by his new reaction to using legs. But his guilt outweighed it.

“Dawww, this is kinda cute.” Ross commented.

"He's like a baby deer." Brian teased.

"Alright Dan, a little bit farther, you got this bro." Jack said.

Jack helped Dan move a bit more before he slowly let go and allowed Dan to walk a step or two on his own.

Barry grinned "Yeah! Like that, Dan."

Dan looked at his friends and mildly smiled back.

Arin sighed as he looked away a bit, ashamed of himself so much he couldn’t speak.

It took some time but Dan could at least walk around the room without falling on his butt.

"....Ow." Dan mumbled.

“Well we’re making progress, that’s good.” Ross shrugged.

Jack lightly helped Dan back to the bed as Dan laid back down.

“That was impressive, but ya need to rest a little, you’re starting to get a fever.” Jack instructed.

"I am?" Dan blinked.

Ross then glanced at Arin, who was still in his own personal bubble as he smirked “Alright, let’s leave the captain and the patient alone for a bit.”

The others left the room as Arin sighed sadly while Dan moved his blanket up to his chest. They didn't speak for a minute or two.

Then Arin broke the silence.

“Dan...Dan I am...so sorry…” Arin said as he looked down.

Dan looked at him gently “It’s ok…”

“No it’s not, I did this to you! Because of my fucking pride!” Arin replied.

"Arin, I'm not blaming you." Dan replied.

"Well you should, because it's my fault your this way!" Arin got up, clearly fuming as he kicked one of his chairs over violently.

Dan gently gripped the sheets and frowned lightly “I-I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

“I...no, it’s not you, it’s me! Dan...you have to be like this….because of what I did…” Arin said.

Dan blinked at him, his eyes suddenly looked a bit murky.

"I didn't mean it...I'm sorry."

"Y...You're sorry for what?" Dan asked quietly.

"F...For getting you turned into this...." Arin mumbled.

"Turned...?" Dan whispered.

“You’re a human now…..” Arin said sadly, as he covered his face.

Dan blinked in confusion; his head suddenly felt heavy and warped. His green and blue eyes were grey and hazy.

“I...my head hurts…”

Arin lifted his head up lightly as he nodded “Yeah...I-I’ll...I’ll let you rest…”

Arin began to leave before Dan lightly grabbed his wrist.

“Y-you won’t leave me….right?” Dan said.

Arin blinked as he shook his head “..No I won’t…”

Dan let go, as his mind played tricks on him and made him trail off into a troubled sleep.

Arin lightly sighed as he went back to his chair and leaned back. Arin wasn’t sure how to feel on this, Dan was a human...he had to be scared, right? How the hell would he be able to fix this? What if Dan was stuck as a human forever? Arin could only let his mind wander as he too fell into an uneasy slumber.

~~~

Silence....

Dan was in a fog...standing all alone....

....

"H-Hello?"

Dan felt something come up from behind him and lay a hand on his shoulder. He turned. No one was there, just thick fog.

Dan blinked, stepping backwards "W...What?"

He heard the faint sounds of splashing water.

Dan gulped.

**_"Little siren...how are you doing?"_ **

"W...Why would you care?"

_**"Oh just being...FRIENDLY..."** _

Dan suddenly felt someone cover his mouth from behind him.

He screamed behind the cupped hand.

**_"Shhhh....you don't want to wake the captain, would you?"_ **

Dan fought out of his grip, turning around to find nothing.

He could hear the echoes of Cry's laugh in his head, making him cover his ears.

"W-Why are you doing this?! Why did you turn me into this? What is this gonna accomplish?!"

Cry slowly took form in front of Dan, smiling back at him with his long grin.

"Y-You're just doing this as a sick joke?!"

**_"Much more than that..._ **

_**Travelers throughout the years, they don't care. None of them do. They think they can do whatever they want to my coves. Your captain disturbed my peace. So taking something near and dear is the punishment fit just for him..."** _

"H-He didn't mean to! He was looking out for us!"

_**"His pride was his downfall...like the others."** _

"He's not like other sailors..."

**_"What....because you love him?"_ **

Dan blinked and blushed blue.

_**"Don't think I didn't see your thoughts in this minuscule mind of yours, siren. You watch him, marvel at him, play up your little affections for him...it's pitiful."** _

"Y...You don't know me..."

_**"He's like all the other captains I've seen."** _

"He's not! H-He cares about me...about everyone."

Cry scoffed.

_**"Don't tell me you never got sick of humans invading your shores?"** _

"I...I didn't take it so much to heart..."

**_"Oh of course not...it was FOOD, wasn't it? Why complain?"_ **

Dan looked away.

_**"Face it siren....you've lost what you used to be...you've turned your back to your kind. This is only fitting to someone who doesn't belong to anyone or anything."** _

"Wh...What about...?"

**_"Arin? He'll watch....watch you lose yourself more and more till there's nothing left..."_ **

"You're not making me do anything..."

**_"You won't have a choice....in fact....you won't even remember we had this talk...."_ **

 

"What?..."

Dan's mind suddenly grew fogged, his eyes changed to grey, the world went dark around him. Only Cry's sick laughter filled his ears as Dan sank to the floor and cried out.

"ARIIIIIIN!!!"

~~~~

"Ahh!" Dan cried, sitting up from the bed in a cold sweat. Arin lifted his head up from his chair in surprise "What-what?! What happened?"

Dan's breath quickened "I-I...I was alone, and...s-something was after me...'"

Arin got up, going over to Dan's side "Hey...it's okay...it was a dream...nothing else...."

"B-But..."

"Shh...it's gonna be alright, Dan. Okay?"

Dan looked at Arin then covered his face in his hands. Arin's heart sank, looking Dan over and then gently hugging him.

"I promise, it was just a dream..."

Dan sniffled, letting Arin envelope him in the hug.

But...

What...what was he crying about again?

~~~~

Signs of the late afternoon finally appeared in the sky after the ship trekked through Marooner Shores' fog filled coves and into the sea.

The crew had stopped mid sail as they fished for dinner.

Ross was sighing to himself for the fifth time as Barry glared at him.

“Ross, if you have something to say then say it.” Barry mumbled.

“It’s nothing, Barry...but...god, that whole thing, man...Dan, the spirit...it was all…” Ross trailed off as he tugged on the rope he casted out.

“Yeah but...dwelling on it won’t do much….” Barry muttered.

“I know. I just wish...honestly, I wish Arin wouldn’t have done that. Being reckless like that, putting pride before everyone.” Ross frowned.

“Arin made a mistake…” Barry sighed.

"Yeah but why not listen like a smart person? We TOLD him." Jack complained.

"Would you all shut up and get back to work?" Brian grumbled.

The four of them exchanged looks before resuming their jobs.

“Mark wouldn’t be that way.” Ross grumbled, as he walked off to get something.

Barry merely looked away as he glanced up to see Dan.

Dan was holding himself up against the wall, looking out at the ocean.

Barry finished tying down a few ropes as he went over to his side.

"Hey buddy. Did you rest good?" Barry asked.

"A little....I had a bad dream but...I forgot what it was about." Dan replied.

"Well, at least you don't remember what the bad stuff was." Barry shrugged.

Dan nodded "I guess..."

The guy moved to the steps nearby, trying to sit normally but plopped onto the step instead.

“Legs are weird, man.” He commented.

Barry smiled lightly “Yeah, kinda. You doing okay with them?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

"Well that's good." Barry replied.

"I just...I-I don't know."

"What? What is it?"

"I just...I wish I knew what that dream was...it felt...so important."

"You might be able to remember it if you walk around and collect your thoughts. At least, that's what I do when I forget something."

"Yeah..." Dan replied, standing up slowly. Barry had his hand out in case.

"I-I think I got this..." Dan mumbled, moving carefully but also wobbling a bit.

Barry walked towards him and lightly took his arm, supporting him as he moved “Just take it slow.”

Dan nodded in understanding, moving slowly but also a bit fast since he was pretty eager to explore. He and Barry walked a bit up the deck.

“You’re taking this surprisingly well, man. You’re not...you know...freaked out that you don’t have a tail?” Barry asked, as he lightly guided Dan.

Dan blinked, his eyes flashed grey, then back to green and blue.

“I’m not sure, my mind’s kinda...I don’t know, the word...um...hazy.” Dan frowned.

“Ah I see…” Barry nodded, moving with Dan a bit more.

"Like...I remember you guys...but..."

"Yeah?"

"W...What was I doing before?"

"Y...You were saying you wanted to remember the dream you had."

"Oh...funny...I forgot all about that again..."

Barry looked at him in concern.

"Dan....are you okay?"

"Hm? Um...kind of..."

"What's wrong?"

“I...I kinda don’t remember a lot of stuff before I came to the ship.” Dan confessed.

Barry looked at him “Y-You don’t?”

“No…..I mean there’s pieces like water...and swimming. But that’s all.” Dan sighed.

"B-But what about you being a siren?"

"....huh?"


	40. Everybody Talks

Barry blinked "...You know...a sir-?"

"Guys, I caught something!" Ross called, breaking the conversation.

Barry watched Dan turn and head towards Ross in curiosity, but he didn't follow. He panicked internally; with these new developments...this concerned him greatly.

"Where's Arin?" Barry questioned Brian, who was passing by.

"In his cabin, why?"

"I-I need to talk to him."

"Go ahead, but he's been in there all day. Probably sleeping." Brian replied.

Barry nodded, hurrying off towards the stairs.

Ross meanwhile, starting yanking at a rope that held up something in the ocean.

"Yo, Jack! Pull this with me!" Ross yelled.

"I am! What do you fuckin' think I'm doing, Ross?" Jack retorted.

"God you're such pansies..." Brian teased, grabbing the rope and pulling it with them. However even with his strength added, it made no difference.

"Can I help?" Dan asked, standing back and watching.

"C-Can you be able to, Dan?" Ross rasped, tugging with all his might.

"I can try." Dan said, grabbing the end of the rope and pulling back. Now with all four of them combined, the net in the ocean finally pulled up to the deck and splattered fish and octopuses all over the floorboards.

"Woo! We did it! Nice one, Dan." Jack said.

Dan blushed light blue "Thanks..."

~~~~

Arin was at his desk, lying his head on his arms. Everything, was just eating at him. Dan...Dan was a new person because of him. What would he be able to do?

It was his fault this happened.

Arin let out a sigh, glancing at the jar of candy he would give Dan before everything went down. It pained him to see it; really ANYTHING pained him right now.

Suddenly a knock came to his door.

"Yeah?" Arin sighed.

Barry suddenly entered, looking very nervous.

"A-Arin we gotta talk." Barry heaved.

"What?" Arin mumbled.

"I-It's....wait, what's going on with you?" Barry blinked.

Arin shrugged, and leaned back on his chair so Barry can see him fully. His eyes had visible bags, and he looked exhausted.

"Oh my god...Arin...you look awful..." Barry gasped.

"Yeah?...what else is new...." Arin grumbled.

"...Dude...are you alright?" Barry asked.

"No Barry, I am not." Arin replied.

Barry came over and sat in one of the other chairs nearby "Dude...talk to me."

"What's there to say, man? I...I fucked up, royally. I got Dan cursed and turned into a human, that's as shitty as they come."

"Well...it WAS bad, but you didn't mean for it."

"Right, because my fucking pride got in the way."

"Arin you can't beat yourself up for this."

"I can. It's my fault."

"Arin, come on..."

"No man...I'm an idiot, I caused this mess."

"Listen man...being negative to yourself like this...it's not healthy. You made a mistake, but that's all it is. A single mistake. You gotta take it with a grain of salt and keep going, it's gonna get worse for you if you dwell on it too long."

Arin let out a sigh.

"Yeah...."

Barry frowned, thinking about why he came into the room in the first place.

"So...what did you wanna tell me about?" Arin mumbled.

Barry blinked.

"Umm..."

Arin looked at him cryptically.

"I was....gonna say...."

 

"YO GUYS, WE GOT DINNER, LET'S GO!"

Ross echoed down the hall.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks Ross, being the spoiler of everything -_-


	41. Déjalo ir

Barry turned back to the captain, who had laid his head back on the desk,

"Welp...time to go eat I guess..."

Arin didn't move.

"....Come on man, you gotta come."

Arin mumbled "I don't have to."

"Won't everyone wonder where you went? Especially Dan?"

Arin tensed at the mention of Dan "I'm the captain, I can eat in my cabin if I want."

Barry frowned "Dude."

"I said no."

"...."

Barry then went to the other side of the desk and pulled out Arin's chair, making the captain jump in surprise. "What the fuck Barry?!" Arin yelled.

"You're not staying cooped up in here. You need air and sunlight."

"You're not my mom, Barry!"

"No, but I can act like one." Barry pulled the captain up from the chair and nearly dragged him out of his quarters. The captain wasn't at all pleased.

"FUCKIN STOP." Arin growled.

"Not unless you stand up like a normal person, walk out there and talk to your crew." Barry replied.

"THEN can you leave me alone?"

Barry didn't answer, but his face clearly said 'yes'.

~~~

"Woo! What a catch!" Ross grinned, looking over the net full of fish they had captured.

"By how much we have, we could have enough to last a few months." Jack debated.

"Well that's better than usual. This crew eats everything to the last crumb." Brian rolled his eyes.

Dan admired the huge catch he helped to retrieve. The scales of the fish shined in the sunlight. Blue and green...

"Yo Dan! Whatcha lookin at?" Jack asked.

Dan blinked, smiling at Jack "Nothing...just looking at the fish scales."

"Ah yeah, they're like the color you had."

Dan looked at him in confusion as Arin headed onto the deck. 

“Hey dude, we got a shitload of fish!” Ross called out. 

Arin blinked in surprise as Dan noticed the Captain. 

“T-That’s awesome. Uh...gather them up, and...stuff.” Arin said, obviously focused on something else in mind. 

"Barry, give us a hand?" Jack asked.

Barry let go of Arin while heading to help, leaving Arin alone by the helm.

Dan then got up, wobbling a bit as he made it over to the somewhat distracted captain.  


"Hi Arin..." Dan smiled.

Arin looked at him, a mild smirk came across his face, but he was clearly thinking of something else. "Hey Dan."

"Are you okay?"

"...Yeah....just tired."

"I'm sorry."

"I mean, it's fine...h-how are you?"

Dan shrugged "I'm getting by."

"Good...."

Dan could see something troubled Arin, and in a moment of silence, gave him a hug. 

Arin blushed bright pink as he slightly giggled “Umm..."

Dan let go as he smiled "Sorry, I thought you could one of those."  


Arin blushed brighter and meekly smiled back "Well...thanks...I guess I did."  


"I hope whatever is bothering you goes away. You should be able to relax."

"...Yeah me too..."

~~~  


As everyone got dinner ready, Arin found himself alone in one of the hallways of the galley. He leaned against the wall as he saw Dan helping out in the kitchen. He could see excitingly assisting everyone; he clearly was happy to be of use.

Arin let out a sigh. He didn't think Dan felt horrible in his new form, but the guilt still ate at Arin despite it all.

_ "Arin...?" _

The captain stood up, looking around to where the source came from.  


"...Mark?"

Arin scanned the narrow hall, nothing but wooden walls met him. Suddenly he spotted mist coming from the bottom of a door across from him.

Carefully he made his way to the door and turned it, seeing...nothing inside.

"...Mark?..." He whispered.

Slowly and surely, a misty figure appeared before him, the long dead captain.

"W-Where have you been, man?" Arin questioned, going into the room and closing the door behind him.

"I'm a spirit, Arin. I don't stay in one place." Mark replied.

"Well isn't that convenient." Arin frowned.

Mark rolled his eyes "Also-" Mark then used his hand to lightly bop Arin’s forehead “Really, man?”

“I know, I KNOW. I fucked up big time!” Arin exclaimed, rubbing his head.  


“After what went down before? Man, if this is your way of learning, you have one strange system.” Mark sighed. 

Arin went over to a chair, draped in an old sheet. It puffed up with dust as he sat.

“I...wasn’t thinking properly.” Arin admitted. 

Mark looked at him as he floated over to his side.

“Let me guess...you wanted to keep that pride of yours up?” Mark replied knowingly. 

“Yes….” Arin frowned. 

"Arin.."

"What? Come to scold me, Mark? I know what I did was wrong. I feel horrible, I do. I did it to him."

Mark sighed a bit “Well...at least you own up to it. That’s saying something.” 

"Yeah...the big asshole I am owning up."

Mark then tilted his head "What does HE have to say about this?"

Arin looked down "I-...I...don't know he...he doesn't look...upset with me..."

"...Then maybe he ISN'T mad at you."

"That's...ridiculous, he has to be. I took what he was and warped it."

"If what I saw was true. on the deck...I think otherwise."

“...He should blame me.” Arin replied. 

“Maybe he knows you didn’t mean to make him that way."

Arin covered his face in his hands.

Mark moved around the room. A sliver of day peeked in; revealing the draped chairs and bed, and captain's desk. Books untouched for what seemed like centuries, cloaked in dust and webs. A single sword atop the covered table, covered in dust and dried blood.

Mark touched the blade.

"If I've learned anything, Arin...it's that we don't hold on to the past. Unless we want it to consume us."

Arin lifted his head from his palms. 

"But..."

"Arin...please. Let me speak."

Arin gulped, feeling a tingle down his spine as his former captain spoke,

"I...am apart of this ship. It's apart of me. It always will be. If I could do one thing before my time on this earth was over...it would be to give up my ship, so I could move on. So everyone could move on. I'm haunted by the mistakes I made. The mistakes I made for everyone aboard and off. I didn't let go...and I never can. Everyone, including you, still feel my presence on this ship...even after my body left you. But what can I do, but hover and watch my friends wish and hold to the things they remembered most of me. I wish to leave...so you can live, Arin. But I know I can't. Because I held to the past so much, my soul stuck around. I don't want the same for you. I forged my chain. You can move on from this. You live, you breathe, you can change your fate, Arin. Don't be like me."  


Arin's eyes fogged up.

"That guy out there...he doesn't blame you. You did something...but you need to understand, keeping it to yourself, and not letting go...will only cause more harm than good. Believe me, I know what it's like firsthand."

Arin sniffled.

Mark went over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Please...learn to move on." Mark whispered.

Arin began to sob, clutching Mark's hand on his shoulder.

"I have faith you can, Arin. I know you can."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :'(  
> (music of choice for Mark: Nevermore by Adrian von Ziegler https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugiw9-t70TM )


	42. Simple Shots

"Yo Dan, you doing okay?"

"Hm?" Dan blinked, snapping out of his moment of silence.

"You haven't really eaten, something wrong?" Jack asked lightly. It was true, Dan's plate looked almost the same as when he was served.

"Oh um..yeah I guess. Do you guys know where Arin went?" 

Jack looked around "Yeah...come to think of it, where IS he?"

"Probably sleeping. Or something lazy." Ross teased.

"Ross come on." Barry warned.

"What? He DOES do that a lot. Sheesh, when did you become the boss?"

"I'm not, I'm just saying, he's having a rough time. And it's best we give him space if he needs it."

"Hm." Ross mumbled, continuing to eat.

Brian picked up a shot glass and poured a bit into it. Everyone looked at him in curiosity.

"Why the shot?" Barry asked.

Brian shrugged "Because I felt like it." He then pulled his bandana down exposing his mouth as he gulped down the shot.

"Wow it's rare to see you actually have a face under that bandana." Ross joked.

Dan looked at the shot glass and said out of nowhere "Can I try some?"

The men blinked at him in slight shock.

"Y-You really want one?" Barry asked.

Dan nodded "I don't think I've tried it before."

"That's true, the last time we had rum and whiskey was months ago. And you didn't drink it with us." Ross replied.

"I didn't? Huh...can't remember that..."

"Well no matter, let's get you a glass, Danny boy!" Ross grinned, getting up to get more glasses.

"I wouldn't mind having some either." Jack smirked.

"Then shots all around!" Ross announced.

\---

Arin, after a good while of talking to Mark, finally met with everyone in the kitchen. To his surprise, everyone had bottles of wine and rum set all around the table, Jack had his flute out, and Dan looked perplexed at his small shot glass.

Barry spotted Arin and smiled "Hey captain! You finally made it!"

"Uh...hi? What's going on here?"

"Havin' a toast! And a little party to celebrate Dan drinking for the first time!" Jack giggled. His nose was slightly red at the tip.

Arin smiled a bit, going to sit over with Dan. He studied Dan's face as he picked up the shotglass.

"So, you haven't tried it yet?" Arin asked.

"No, just...I don't know, looking it over?" Dan giggled.

"Are you nervous to try it?"

"Not really...but a little bit."

"Just try a sip first." 

Dan nodded, taking the shotglass to his lips and taking a small sip. The second he tasted it, he coughed from the bitter taste.

Arin burst out laughing, as Dan blushed deep blue.

"That was amazing!" Arin beamed, making Dan start smiling back at him.

"Not bad for a first timer." Brian shrugged.

"Certainly better than when I first drank. I spit the whole thing out." Barry said.

"Yeah, on me!" Jack hollered.

Everyone started to laugh, even Brian giggled under his breath.

Soon everyone was taking a few more shots and drinks as they started talking on about their own experiences and times sipping alcohol.

"So there I am, out on the water with this huge ass bottle of wine, there's a tiny island right across from me, and I shit you not, a shark swam for my ship and it looked like it swam right through it!" Jack giggled.

"Oh please, that can't be true!" Ross stated.

"It is! It was a fuckin landshark too! The damn thing was ON THE BEACH!" Jack exclaimed.

"Now you're just bullshitting us, Jackaboy." Arin grinned.

"It's the truth! Wanna know how I know? The fucker bit up my boat!" Jack protested.

"Sharks are assholes..." Dan whispered.

"They are. Which is why I stay far away from those fuckers!" Jack replied.

"That's nothing, I punched a shark once." Brian boasted. 

"Oh come on." Barry rolled his eyes.

"Not lying. It was there, I was in the water, and then I punched it. Exactly like that." Brian replied.

"Brian you lieeeeeeeee" Ross mumbled drunkingly. 

"If I lie, then why do I have a teeth mark on my back?"

"....Birthmark."

The entire table broke out into laughter as Arin glanced over at Dan. He looked sleepy while he lightly swayed back and forth. His fourth shot was beside him.

"Okay, I think Danny needs to relax." Arin said.

Dan looked at him with heavy eyelids "Nuh uhhhh...Ar..."

"Oh yeah, you definitely need sleep."

Dan shook his head...then laid it on the table.

Arin sighed.

"I'll be back, I gotta get Dan to bed." Arin announced, lifting Danny up and supporting his weight on his shoulder.

The two left the room, Danny lazingly slumping through the hall.

"But I don wana..."

"You gotta, Danny boy." Arin replied, taking him back to the captain's quarters.

Dan yawned while Arin walked him to the bed. And Dan immediately fell onto it.

"Dan! You okay?" Arin blinked.

Danny looked at him and sheepishly giggled. The tip of his nose was ice blue.

"You so nice to me..." Danny smiled.

Arin blushed red as he smirked "Well...I try to be." 

"Thankies..." Dan whispered.

Arin smiled back.

Suddenly Dan held his hand.

Arin blushed brighter.

“Arin…” Dan whispered sleepily. 

“Yeah?” Arin inquired. 

“I’m glads ya here with me.” Dan mumbled. 

“I...I wouldn’t be anywhere else, dude.” Arin said. 

“I can stay on ya ship, right?” Dan guessed.

“O-Of course. Why would you think I wouldn’t want you to be on the ship?” Arin wondered.

“Don’t knows....can't remembers, but I like bein’ with ya.” Dan said. 

Arin giggled lightly “Well, Dan, I like being with you too.” 

“That’s goods.” Dan yawned. 

Dan began to fall asleep as he lightly squeezed Arin’s hand. Arin blinked, as he looked down at his hand with blushing cheeks. Dan then fell asleep, his hand remaining on Arin’s. Arin didn’t move it at all as he watched Dan lightly fall asleep. 

Arin still was unsure of what they had but he did enjoy holding his hand. Maybe holding it every so often wouldn’t be wrong? Arin felt a little better with himself now, yet he didn’t know why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys can guess what LP Jack is referencing, you get a cookie


	43. Echoes of the Past

Dan blinked.

He was alone. His dreams seem to all start this way now. All by himself in a dark endless cave.

"A...Anyone? Hello!" Dan called.

No one answered.

Yet he feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand. Like he was being watched, but from where?

"I...I don't like this...c-come out!" Dan called again.

No one...

**_"Aw..."_ **

Dan stiffened. The voice....it was back. The sinister and deep mystery voice that racked his brain at night; he felt somewhere in his mind he knew who this was...yet...the thought would escape him in a few moments.

"...Aw...what?" Dan frowned.

**_"The little fish...in such a big ocean...all alone..."_ **

"S...Stop calling me that."

**_"Why? It's such a great comparison."_ **

Dan was silent.

 ** _"How's life?"_** the voice hissed sinisterly.

"...W-Why would you care? You're just some...part of my mind, that never leaves me alone."

**_"I'm more than that, actually."_ **

"Really, huh? Okay, big and scary fuckin voice, tell me who you are. So you can stop entering my mind!"

Dan looked around, feeling someone's presence coming from behind.

**_"I'm the wind. The dark deep depths of the coves. I'm all around you. Yet you cannot see me. I'M ALWAYS HERE."_ **

"If I can't see you, then you're nothing to me."

Dan turned around, suddenly met with glowing aqua eyes and teeth. It made him yell in fear.

The teeth curved into an unnatural grin.

Dan had seen it before.

Dan whispered..."Cry..."

**_"Ah...you remember me...that's against the rules."_ **

"Rules...?"

_**"Of my game..."** _

"Y...You...You did this to me...I...I rem..A-Arin!..Arin, help! I'm stuck here, I nee-.."

 

 

 

 

**_"One, two, three, four, five,_ **  
**_Once I caught a fish alive,"_ **

Dan's eyes slowly turned grey.

  
" _ **Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,**_  
_**Then I let go again."**_

 

 

 

 

 

Dan's head began to fill with fog, and he bent to the floor. Cry approached him, fabricating a see-through clear body, his eyes piercing bright through the dark.

_** "See Danny...this little hiccup...shouldn't happen. If I want the game to keep going, I need your full cooperation. Remembering things like...what I do, and who I am, big no-no's."  ** _

Dan groaned in pain as Cry tilted his head.  


**_ "Curious how this is even going on...my spell should have just left you completely wiped...yet..." _ **

Cry pondered the possibilities. Him remembering his siren past, his name...that would only mean-  


Cry bent down to Dan, who was still on the floor on his knees, panting.

**_ "...Arin's in love.." _ **

Dan opened his eyes.  


_** "...Isn't he?" ** _

\----

Meanwhile, upon one of the small coves, the regal queen Suzy laid on her back, her tail lightly touching the sea's cold water. She hadn't stopped chasing that damn ship; but it escaped her view a few weeks ago, leaving her, Kevin, and a small crowd of sirens in it's passed trail. She put a hand to her chest, it beated steadily. Yet it felt like it paused a few times, perhaps taking a moment to remember it was still alive.

Suzy let out a heavy sigh.

"Y-Your Highness?"

Suzy blinked, lifting her head from the sand bed.

"Yes?"

A young siren crawled from the edge of the ocean. She had black hair drooping over her bright jade colored eyes. "There was some news on the ship."

Suzy gulped "Y-Yes?"

"They docked in the west. A week or two perhaps, at a town on an island."

Suzy nodded, finally some good news.

"Y-Your Highness...if I may be so bold...what are we to do when we find the ship?" The siren asked.

"I plan to assemble as many as we can, to get my brother back, and get those sick humans who took him from us."

"Like...attack the entire ship?"

"If that's what it takes."

"Will we have enough?"

Suzy bit her lip. "We might....but...we need the sirens of the west to assist us, should we need them. We might have to get word out to Commander Holly."

"Commander Holly...of the Western Seas? Isn't she the siren who..."

"Yes, she broke the ban of siren and human conversation. Yet, she still remains commander of her armada, and her sirens could be of great use to us."

The young siren nodded "Should I go deliver a message to her?"

Suzy shook her head "The trip is too long for you, young Petal. She's long since been in the caverns since I saw her last."

"I can do it, Your Highness. I've greatly improved my speed over the summer." Petal smiled.

Suzy thought about it for a moment.

"You may go, BUT, a second siren to join you would be wise."

Petal nodded "I'll bring my brother Leon with me."

"...Very well."

Petal smiled, gave the queen a small bow, then dove into the water and out of sight.

Suzy watched her leave then laid back on the beach. She could only let the waves put her to sleep, as a single thought came to her.

Her hugging her brother.


	44. Birds of a Feather

"No no, you whistle after I whistle. That's how it works." Holly said to the perched blue jay on her finger. It looked at her with little black eyes and tilted its head in mild confusion.

"Here, we'll try it again, okay? Come on little guy."

She lightly whistled three notes, and waited for the bird to repeat it back. It instead tweeted at her and flapped its wings.

Holly let out a sigh "Alright buddy, that's enough for today. Fly on home.”

She then lifted up her hand as the little birdie flew off.

Holly laid her head on the comfortable pillow she had leaned against a rock. Her tiny nook was fashioned to look like a fancy bed, decorated with pink curtains of silk.

Holly had taken up residence in a small grotto near the Western Peaks, half an ocean away from her fellow sirens of the East. She wasn't exactly liked by them, since a somewhat event took place. Now she relaxes in her secret cove, still retaining her role as commander of the West should she be called.

Holly played around with the lining of her sheets. She admired the treasure trove of things she had collected in her tiny grotto; many books, trinkets from other places, and bird calls by the dozens. It would be strange for a siren like herself to have all these, but she couldn't care less. She wasn't one to follow many rules anyway.

Holly picked up the gold clock on the sand bed near her and glanced at its hands. It was nearly three in the afternoon, and she wondered what was taking her friend so long. He said he would be gone for only a few hours....

"Jimmy...where are you?"

Curiosity overcame her as she tipped into the shallow water and swam out of the grotto.

~~~

"Going once, going twice? Sold, to the young boy in the back!"

Jimmy made his way through the crowd of displeased auctioneers as he was handed an expensive looking statue of a bird.

"Thank you sir, thanks very much."

“Hey Jim!” someone called, making Jimmy turn to face them. 

“How in God's name did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Get enough to get that bird?”

Jimmy flashed a smile, smirking at the losers while he walked by them.

“I'm just...resourceful.”

"That fuckin' boy..." One grumbled.

The young man carried the prized item down the street, getting confused looks from everyone who passed by.

Jimmy wasn't rich. Everyone knew this. The simple pig keeper from the edge of town couldn't possibly have a penny to his name. Yet he here was, strutting into an auction like a king.

Clearly walking into an auction with unwashed hair and his pig-sty clothes wouldn't exactly give off the right impression, and his standings weren't the best.

What impression he DID give however, was the sudden amount of money he seemed to have with him. Jewels as big as an eye, in different colors each with skyrocketing vaults. How a raggedy pig farmer suddenly wallowed in cash was the town's biggest mystery.

He walked off towards the beach.

Once he had made it to a corner, he snuck along the wall as silent as a mouse, holding the bronze bird behind his back.  Jimmy looked around, hoping no one would see him run off towards the rocks of the ocean, still holding onto the bird.

"Jimmy!"

"AHH!" Jimmy jumped back, hitting his back against the wall in shock. The bird clanked into the wall and the poor boy's back. Holly exploded in laughter.

Jimmy frowned, rubbing his backside. "Why'd you do that for?"

"I'm sorry. I wanted to see you get spooked a little." Holly replied.

"More like a lot. That hurt..." Jimmy mumbled like a little kid.

“I'm sorry.” 

“Hmph.”

"Don't be such a guppy."

"....I'm not a guppy."

Holly covered her mouth as she giggled once more.

Jimmy sighed, then revealed the prize behind him. Holly's eyes glowed as she smiled wide at the bird "Oh my gosh, it's beautiful?!"

"I knew you'd like it. I used the last of the one treasure we had to get it."

"Oh, the Graeme treasure?"

"Mhm. The one with that dragon."

"Yeah...wonder what happened to that dragon since we left."

"Who knows."

"Anyway, this will look so nice in the grotto." Holly grinned excitedly.

"Want me to come help you put it somewhere?"

"Yes please." Holly nodded.

~~~

Back at the grotto, Holly and Jimmy swam up from the water as Jimmy tried to catch his breath.

"I-forgot-how-long-you-hold-your-breath." Jimmy gasped.

"Sorry...maybe next time I should-" Holly suddenly stopped short.

"What?" Jimmy blinked. Holly looked scared.

"...Jimmy..." Holly whispered, looking around the grotto.

 

Jimmy tilted his head to see what was wrong....

The entirety of the grotto was in shambles, ripped sheers and drapes everywhere, shelves dismantled, and the precious treasures Holly had arranged and displayed were suddenly missing.

 

"WHERE DID EVERYTHING GO?!!?!"

 

Holly covered her mouth, looking at the emptiness arond her with confused eyes. Jimmy swam to the edge of the grotto and got on the sand while he looked for any remnants of what could have done this. Meanwhile Holly just looked at the remains of her home, picking up a dress with clawed rips on its front.

Jimmy moved wood planks out of his way, seeing that there was a small trail of feathers. He hoped it wasn't from any of Holly’s bird pets. As he crouched down, he saw a certain feather catch his eye. 

A gold colored feather as shiny as gold.

"Holly?" Jimmy called.

Holly turned and swam up to him, looking at the feather carefully in her hands.

"This...this doesn't look like any bird I've met...it's coarse, maybe from the mountains..."

“I found it in this pile over here...this doesn't make any sense. No one knows about this place except you and me.”

“It could have been sirens from the East.”

“They don't mess with you. You're a commander. They’d be idiots to.”

“I can't think of anyone who would do this…”

“What if it was-”

“I know what you're going to say, and no, it couldn't have been one of my army members. They wouldn't dare.”

“Then what did this? Some hunter that came in and took everything?”

“No...but this feather could be the answer.”

"...What, that a big bird came in here and stole all your stuff? That doesn't sound right..." Jimmy huffed.

Holly lined the feather with her finger, seeing how it was tipped in black.

Jimmy ruffled his hair “M-Maybe whoever it was isn't too far away. We could catch up to them and get your stuff back.”

She was silent for a few minutes.

“I mean, who does that kind of shit to someone?”

"...Jimmy..."

"Yeah?"

"....I know what took the stuff."

"What?"

Holly looked up at him gravely, her gills sticking up on end and her magenta eyes narrowing. She spoke in a haunting tone.

"...Harpies."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So enters our newest characters, Commander Holly and Jimmy Whetzel!! :D


	45. Certain Doom

“Harpies?!”

 

“Yes...and nasty ones too.”

 

“W-Where did they even come from? You and the sirens are literally the only creatures I know around here.”

 

“There’s a nest of harpies, off into the mountainside near the cliffs. They rarely come out, only sometimes to hunt and return to their cave. But why would they want all of my things?”

 

“Regardless of why, let’s go to this cave and get them to give back what they stole.”

 

“Reasoning with a harpie is dangerous. They’re not the nicest creatures.”

 

Jimmy sighed, rubbing his face. “So what  _ do _ we do?”

 

There was a silence between the two, until Holly looked up at Jimmy sullenly.

 

“I guess, we go talk to them calmly?”

 

“I thought you said reasoning with them was dangerous.”

 

“Yes, but not impossible.”

 

~~~~

 

Some time later, Jimmy had been able to secure a small boat for him and Holly to use to make the journey to the mountain caves. It wasn’t too hard; all he had to do was give a guy a solid gold pocket watch and he was sold.

 

Holly, draping some tattered curtains over her tail and around her like a cloak, sat in the boat anxiously waiting for Jimmy to gather his things before setting out. She held the feather tightly in her hand, scared of the possibility of failure and for her sirens to come across their remains at the bottom of the ocean in due time.

 

Holly’s thoughts were put on hold as Jimmy returned with a bag over his shoulder. He tossed it into the boat, making it shake side to side on the ocean top.

 

“Sorry. Are you ready?” Jimmy asked.

 

Holly nodded lightly “Yes…”

 

“Okay. Let’s go.”

 

Jimmy settled into the boat, before using the oars and rowing them from the dock into the deep blue. As he paddled, Holly looked up at the mountains in the distance. They were capped at the tops in mist.

 

“So, how far is this cave?” Jimmy questioned, in between the strains of rowing.

 

“About an hour from here.” Holly replied.

 

“You think these harpies will give your stuff back?”

 

“I...don’t know. This could work. But there's also a big chance it couldn’t.”

 

“Well, don’t think too negatively about it. I know we’ll be fine.”

 

“Yeah…” Holly mumbled.

 

The rowing went on for a while; the two only spoke a few times during the trip. Perhaps they both had the underlying feeling this wouldn’t go too well for them.

 

Jimmy would look at Holly and notice her solemn expression, so he tried to spark conversation.

 

“Hey...you remember the time we both tried to get away with stealing that giant vase from Old Lady Bertha?”

 

He heard Holly lightly giggle “Yeah. You had me on your back and got me inside her house. Why’d you think taking a vase was a good idea?”

 

Jimmy smiled “I don’t know. I thought it’d be fun.”

 

“She nearly found me out.”

 

“But you were wearing a cape.”

 

“Not a very protective one. I remember my tail peeking out of it, and I would try to cover it back up when she wasn’t looking.” Holly giggled again.

 

“How old were we again?”

 

“Nine at least.”

 

“Ah the good ol’ days.”

 

“When things were easy.” Holly’s giggles faded as Jimmy knew she was frowning, despite not seeing her face.

 

“...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”

 

“No no, it’s okay. Y-You were trying to cheer me up. And it helped.”

 

Jimmy sighed “I meant about...us. I know me being your friend wasn’t such a good thing for the sirens to know.”

 

Holly shrugged “They didn’t like it. But there’s no use in being sad over it now. That was a long time ago.”

 

“It cost you a lot.”

 

She nodded “Yeah. But...Suzy still knows me as a friend. And that’s what matters.”

 

“Does the queen remember me? Or has she shaken it off?”

 

“We don’t know. She hasn’t returned. I’m in charge in her absence.”

 

“Where did she go?”

 

“Off to find a future queen to succeed her. It happens whenever the queen reaches the end of her reign, and she picks among the sirens of her sea to be the next in line. That’s how Suzy became a queen at her young age.” 

 

“How old was she?”

 

“Twelve.”

 

“Wow...that’s...really young to be a ruler of a whole population.”

 

“Yes. But she’s been a good leader. She’s very steadfast and smart.”

 

“Guess you rubbed off on her, huh?” Jimmy asked, turning his head to her and smiling a bit.

 

Holly blushed light pink at the compliment. 

~~~

 

After some more long winded rowing, Jimmy and Holly made it to the  [ cave ](https://ffcp.s3.amazonaws.com/tfc/Resorts/blancaneaux/explore/adventures/caracol_rio_frio_cave_rio_on_pools/rio_frio_cave_rio_frio_pools/sizes/BTI0401207.jpg) near the foot of the mountain. The river leading in stopped at the edge, leading into the dark tunnel of the cave’s entrance. The light of day would disappear going deeper inside.

 

Jimmy got out of the boat, tying it tightly around a rock before he helped Holly out. She gently climbed onto Jimmy’s back, slinging his bag on her shoulder and still clutching onto her cloak.

 

“You alright?” Jimmy asked, noticing her tension.

 

“Y-Yes…I’m just scared...” She nervously replied.

 

“It’ll be okay, I promise.” Jimmy assured. Holly nodded, appreciating his efforts. 

 

The two began the trek inside the mountain, looking up at the dangling stalactites from above, and the increasingly dimming daylight behind them as they continued. Jimmy eventually asked Holly for his bag. Once she handed it over, he dug through it for a moment before pulling out a lantern and lighting it. The illumination from the candle inside gave off a bright glow, making Holly sigh in slight relief.

 

“We got this. See? I even came prepared.” Jimmy grinned.

 

“Yeah. But did you bring food?” Holly smirked.

 

Jimmy opened his mouth to reply, but then realized…

 

“Ah fuck.”

 

Holly laughed teasingly as Jimmy blushed “I’m sorry! I thought we wouldn’t need any!”

 

“That’s literally one of the most important things to bring on an adventure like this!” 

 

“EXCUSE ME PRINCESS.” Jimmy scoffed, sending an unintentional echo through the cave.

 

It continued on until it faded out of range. Suddenly, a vicious sounding squack followed instead, echoing back at them, making Jimmy and Holly cringe at the noise.

 

Holly tensed up “They know we’re here…”


	46. Birds of Prey

What followed from the first shriek was a wave of eardrum-shattering squacks coming down the cave tunnels towards Jimmy and Holly.

“Jimmy, go into that cavern!” Holly yelled, grabbing Jimmy’s shirt collar.

Jimmy, shaken in fear, nodded fast and darted for the nearby cave. Holly held on tight.

The lantern rocked violently in Jimmy’s hand as he ran through the darkness; the light could only brighten the ground in front of him.

“W-What do we do?!” Jimmy asked.

“I don’t know!”

“What do you mean?! We can’t just run around the cave until they fly off-”

Jimmy’s sentence was cut short as they were suddenly stopped by a pair of red eyes in the blackness. He skidded to a stop and tried to turn around and run back where he came from, but the pair of eyes let out a fearful cry. It launched itself at the boy and suddenly everything went dark.

 

~~~

 

Holly could feel herself being dragged; pebbles nipping at her skin as whatever was pulling her had her by the tail. Her eyes fluttered, dizzily spotting an owl like creature with its talons gripping Holly’s fins tightly.

“J..Jim…” She sounded out, turning her head. Jimmy was being pulled alongside her by another owl; he was out cold.

“H..Hey...let...go…” Holly grumbled, weakly rocking her body back and forth at an attempt to break free.

The owl didn’t even stop flapping its wings.

Holly groaned in frustration as she turned back to the unconscious Jimmy.

“Ji-...Jimmy..!” Holly rasped.

Jimmy mumbled something as Holly noticed their movement was getting slower.

“Jim….Jimmy….wake up...please…” Holly tried reaching for him, somehow able to grab his arm and tug.

He began to groan and blink “H-Holly?”

“Jim...thank god...w-we gotta get out of here…”

“W...What…”

The owls let out a blood-curdling scream as they came to a halt and dropped their two catches on the floor.

 _“Good work my pets.”_ Someone’s voice said.

 _“What treats they’ve given to us, sister.”_ Another said.

_“Treats indeed...what says you, dear Ocypete?”_

‘Ocypete’ responded in a demented laugh.

Holly rubbed her head as she looked upwards. The birds had dropped them in front of a mountain of stalagmite and stalactite looking like thrones high above the cave floor. Resting on the perches of rock were three enormous harpies, each staring at them with bold bird-like eyes. Two were at the bottom while one, the leader, was rested at the top.

The first being was slender and black colored, with yellow eyes and short brown chopped hair. She ruffled her wings in impatience. The second was hunched over and gold, her raggedy blonde had strands falling onto her face, and electric blue eyes hiding behind them. The last, intimidating in size and feathered in brown and beige, exposed her spotted underbelly, and shook her pixie cut red hair with matching red eyes.

The siren opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the blonde harpy _“Hahahahhahahaaa fishy out of water ahahahhaahhaaa!”_

 _“Ocypete! Where are your manners? We have guests…”_ the leader hissed; her voice was thick like she was from somewhere in the Mediterranean.

 _“Guests? A moment ago, they were treats, Aello.”_  The black harpy grumbled.

_“Until they repent, they ARE treats. But we will speak of the crimes first.”_

“C-Crimes?” Holly whispered.

 _“Ah, you’ve finally awoken to join us.”_ Aello grinned, showing her sharp teeth.

“W...What did you want from us?” Holly asked, sitting up from the ground.

_“You and your friend’s repentance. For the sins you’ve committed.”_

“Sins? Look...we-”

Ocypete flew up to Holly, pushing her back to the ground, nailing her down with her talons.

_“Fishy and fleshy been bad.”_

_“Indeed you have. Celaeno, read off the crimes this siren and her human pet have committed.”_

_“Stealing precious treasures from the world for personal gain.”_

“W-Wait a minute.”

Holly and Ocypete turned to their side; Jimmy had been able to weakly stand and look the harpies in their eyes.

“We...didn’t steal...anything.”

The harpies cackled at him.

_“So, of the items this siren has, how many are yours? None! You’ve stolen all these goods for yourselves, which is by laws of the underworld, punishable.”_

“We bought them. With our own money…”

_“That you STOLE.”_

“How can it be stolen? Those jewels and gold...weren’t touched for years. No one...remembers them. That’s not stealing.”

_“Your attempts to disregard your actions are poor.”_

“Oh really? What will YOU do about it, bird brains?”

Celaeno launched from her perch and grabbed Jimmy by the shirt, lifting him off the ground. Jimmy tried to push her back, but her talons gripped him tight and she opened her mouth, ready to snap her teeth into his face.

 _“Celaeno!”_ Aello barked, making the room shake.

The black harpy glanced back at her sister, and then to Jimmy. She then dropped him to the floor, making him land with a thud and a cry of pain.

 _“These two are annoying me…”_ Celaeno grumbled.

 _“Quite right, sister. Let them be put away, far from one another, until they repent. If not...we shall take them to Tartarus in the coming day.”_ Aello commanded.

 _“Who’s gonna watch fishy and fleshy?”_ Ocypete questioned.

_“I have one who will. PODRAGE!”_

The shriek echoed through the caves, until a bird sounding call replied back. Soon another harpie, shorter and thinner than the others, landed on the ground beside Holly, Ocypete and Jimmy. Her feather were faded grey and white, with little spots on her chest. Her shoulder length brown hair faintly moved from her face, which was cut and marked with numerous scars and slashes from past mistakes and accidents. Her one green eye looked at her sisters fearfully, the other was glassy and milky white, dead.

 _“_ Ναι, αδερφή μου? _”_ She spoke in Greek, her voice was mousy and weak.

 _“You will take these sinners, and keep them far from one another. They are to be taken to Tartarus by the morning. If they escape, kill them.”_ Aello ordered.

Podrage nodded, landing by Jimmy and lightly grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him up into the air. She began to fly back towards another cave.

Jimmy tried to kick his way out, seeing Holly get farther and farther from view.

“Holly! HOLLY!!!”

 

~~~

 

Jimmy pounded on the towering rock keeping him from the exit. The harpies had prison cells embedded in the cave walls, sure to secure their victims till they were of use. He beat the walls around him till he could barely feel his hands.

“Let me out! I wanna be let out!!! Please!!!” Jimmy yelled.

Podrage stood at the other side of the rock, ruffling her feathers gently.

“LET ME OUT!!”

 _“Shush…”_ Podrage mumbled.

“I WILL NOT SHUSH! LET ME GO, YOU GIANT MAN EATING BIRD!!”

Podrage turned to face the ‘cell’.

_“You human, will listen to me...my sister doesn’t want me to let you go.”_

“Your sister is crazy! She wants to take us to Tartarus!! I can’t, I need to get home, I have a family, I have Holly! Where is she?!”

_“In another cell till the morning.”_

“I need to get to her!”

_“You stay where you are, human.”_

“I have to help her, she's probably alone and hurt and I have to see her! S-She's all I have…”

Podrage blinked at this.

Jimmy fell to his knees. Podrage could swear she heard sniffling from behind the rock.

_“Y...You...cry, for your friend…”_

“She’s my best friend. I can’t do anything without her. T-...This is all my fault. I got her into this mess. I convinced her to come, I got her in trouble, I...I ruined everything! Why am I so stupid…”

Podrage didn’t respond. But she was listening.

“I’m so sorry Holly...I’m sorry...I ruined your life and I’m sorry…”

Podrage’s chest tightened. She had never heard such sentimental things being said about anyone before. The other prisoners would yell and scream about how they didn’t do anything wrong, but Jimmy...was actually...regretful.

Maybe she should be too.

_“D...Don’t cry…”_

Jimmy sniffled “Why can’t I? What, is that a crime too?”

_“No...I...want to comfort you.”_

Jimmy raised an eyebrow “C...Comfort me?”

_“Yes. I...am not good at it. But, I can try.”_

Jimmy took in a breath and rubbed the tears from his eyes “Thanks...I guess.”

_“Your friend, have you known her long?”_

“Since we were kids...we went through a lot together.”

_“You are her friend. She would be...accepting of you.”_

“Heh...I know. But I feel like, I don’t do enough for her. I'm a human, and she's this super high up commander. I can't do much from where I am. Really.”

_“You try.”_

“Trying only does so much.”

_“It makes you good.”_

“...Yeah.”

Podrage thought, then got an idea. She went over to the rock and asked,

_“What’s it like? To have...friends?”_

“You’ve never had friends before?”

_“No. I am not good enough.”_

“Not even one?”

_“My sisters, they are my friends. But they hurt though.”_

“Hurt?”

_“Hurt me. That is where my scars came from”_

“T-That’s awful…”

_“Is that not what friends do?”_

“No! Friends don’t hurt friends, they help them. Comfort them, care about them, like that. What your sisters do, isn’t friendship. It’s not even love.”

_“Love…?”_

“Love is like...being happy with someone or some people who want you to be happy.”

Podrage nodded.

_“I have not felt this, happy, before.”_

“I’m sorry....”

Jimmy rubbed his aching hands. A few moments of silence filled the cavern until Jimmy spoke again.

“What was your name?”

_“Podrage.”_

“Podrage. I’m Jimmy. And, you CAN feel happy.”

Podrage sighed.

_“I want to. I want happy. I want to see the real ocean. And real waves. Real fish. Real friends...that would make me happy, like the ocean.”_

Jimmy bit his lip.

“C-Can you get us out?”

Podrage’s eyes grew wide in fear. _“No no no no no no, m-my sisters will hurt me...hurt me more than before. I cannot…”_

“Podrage...you can’t be afraid.”

_“But I am! I am afraid.”_

“Why would you put your fear over being happy? Isn’t it what you want? To be really out there, being able to see the ocean? Not being hurt by your sisters anymore?”

Podrage’s breathing quickened, her feathers stuck up _“B-But..”_

Jimmy sighed “Podrage. Listen...I know it’s scary. And you’re afraid. But you can’t be treated like nothing. Because you aren’t nothing. You want to be outside and be happy with friends. And you deserve to be, not being bullied and abused by your siblings. You have to let us out. And...you can come with us. We can be your friends.”

Podrage looked down at the floor, feeling tears come down her cheeks.

_“W-What if we die?”_

Jimmy was silent for a moment, before he said,

“What if we make it? There’s always one chance to make things right. You have the courage to pull this off. You can do this, Podrage. I know you can.”

Podrage began to sob, making Jimmy suspect he failed. Suddenly he could see the rock be pushed away and the opening brought in light from outside. Podrage was in tears.

Jimmy got up, hugging the sobbing creature. The harpy gasped outloud and a new batch of tears came coming through.

“Come on, let’s go get Holly.”


	47. αἰὲν ἀριστεύειν

Holly picked up the stone beside her on the coarse cave floor, and with all her might, threw it against the stalagmite bars of her prison. The circle of hanging rocks surrounding her made a near perfect cell, one she had tried to break out of for a while but with no success. She was getting close to giving up.

 

Struggling to even try anymore, Holly covered her face in her hands, and began to accept the reality of no escape or seeing Jimmy ever again.

 

Silence echoed throughout the cavern until…

 

“Is she this way?”

 

_“I am sure.”_

 

Holly lifted her head in surprise, pulling her tail close to her chest.

 

“Holly?” Jimmy’s voice called out in a loud but hushed tone. The sounds of wings following were behind him.

 

Holly crawled to one of the small crevasses in between the rocks, peeking out to see Jimmy sneaking into the cavern, but unable to see where she was.

 

“J-Jimmy! I’m here!” Holly whispered back.

 

Jimmy’s head snapped in her direction as he spotted her cell and crouched to the crevasse, immediately grabbing hold of her hand.

 

“Oh my god, are you okay? Did they hurt you?” He asked, his face full of worry.

 

“No no, I’m okay.” Holly replied, before spotting Podrage and letting go of Jimmy’s hand. Her eyes shifted from the usual light pink to a threatening dark magenta as she glared at the harpie.

 

“What do you want?” She hissed lowly.

 

“Whoa whoa whoa, Holly. Relax. She’s not gonna hurt us, she’s not with them.” Jimmy tried.

 

Holly turned to Jimmy “How is she not one of them? She’s a-”

 

“She got me out so we can escape. She doesn’t want to be here as much as we don’t.”

 

Podrage was meek as she landed by the cell _“I do not wish to hurt Jimmy...I do not want you or him to be taken by my sisters.”_

 

“What makes you think I can trust you?” Holly asked.

 

Podrage frowned _“I do not know...I can set you free from this?”_

 

Holly blinked in confusion as Podrage used her wing to motion Jimmy to move back. Once he did, she lifted off from the ground, grabbed a stalagmite with her talons and ripped it from its source in a matter of seconds. It didn’t even look like it weighed too much, especially once she tossed it aside and it broke on impact.

 

Jimmy and Holly were awed.

 

Podrage exclaimed _“.._ το έκανα! _”_ (“I did it!”)

 

Jimmy grinned as he lifted Holly back onto his back “Alright, let’s get a move on.”

 

Holly nodded, looking over at Podrage and giving a glance that could be a ‘thank you’. Or at least, Podrage took it as such.

 

Jimmy, while hoisting Holly, began their way down a cavern Podrage said was the way to the entrance.

 

“So why exactly were we taken again? I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.” Holly questioned.

 

_“They told me, it was because you stole from treasures for yourselves. And they took your treasure to lure you over to imprison you.”_

 

“Wow. Not the nicest way to go about interrogating.” Jimmy quipped.

“So, I guess...we shouldn’t have done any of that to begin with? I mean, it’s apparently a bad thing, in Underworld terms.” Holly frowned.

 

_“It is not the best thing one does, but I do not see a reason to be...in trouble for that.”_

 

“They must want some kind of perk for taking in a human and siren to Tartarus or something. Not like our stuff is gonna matter to them.” Jimmy added.

 

Podrage blinked _“Your ‘stuff’, is still here.”_

 

Jimmy and Holly looked at her in interest.

 

Podrage’s face lit up _“We may take the things...and escape!”_

 

~~~~

 

 _“Through this way.”_ Podrage hushed, leading Holly and Jimmy into a small area in the caverns that was unlike anything they had seen. Walls of gold, jewels and treasures laid all around them, making the room glow in yellow and touches of red ruby.

 

Jimmy marveled at the sight, while Holly glanced around for anything she owned in the piles.

 

 _“This is their treasure...except for what is yours. They do not let me near it.”_ Podrage said, briefly landing and perching on a rod stuck in the ground.

 

“Only take what we need, Jim.” Holly reminded.

 

“Huh? Oh! R-Right yeah.”

 

Holly noticed her collections of small things lying about, as she asked Jimmy to place her on the floor to retrieve them.

 

 _“Did they take many things?”_ Podrage asked Holly.

 

“Um...sort of. They took a lot of precious treasures I had from when I was young. And my cove is mostly just...a mess now.”

 

 _“I...am sorry...for them.”_ Podrage sighed _“I am the second youngest...but I do not want, my sisters to be so cruel…”_

 

Holly looked up at the harpie, seeing her green eye twinkle at the sight of treasures, but she didn’t dare to even touch one.

 

As she picked up a few gold items to look over, Podrage slightly laughed.

 

_“When I was small...I longed to play with these crowns and staffs….they made me want to feel, special.”_

 

“I bet you would have a lot of fun playing dress-up with all this.” Jimmy joked.

 

Podrage nodded _“I never came in here though. Ocypete would stop me at the entrance, saying I was not worthy to come in.”_

 

“I don’t know how you were able to be okay with them for so long…”

 

_“I was...blinded. Blinded by the thought they would care if I did what was told of me.”_

 

Holly noticed the slices on her face, probably from the talons of her sisters.

 

“Did they...give you those scars?” Holly questioned.

 

Podrage lowered her head. Clearly yes was the answer.

 

Holly gathered up her things, but kept occasionally looking up at Podrage with sympathy.

 

“Alright, I think that’s everything. At least, what I saw was ours. Now we need to get it to the boat…” Jimmy said, scratching his head in thought.

 

“We can’t carry everything in just our hands, we don’t even know how far the boat is.” Holly sighed.

 

Podrage looked around, seeing a velvet sack lined in gems. She flew over to it, picking it up with her talons and asking _“Will this do?”_

 

“Here, let me see.” Jimmy said, lightly taking it and looked the bag over. It was large enough to hold a good amount of things, now it depended on if they could carry it.

 

“I think it might work actually…though, carrying it isn’t gonna be easy.”

 

 _“I will help.”_ Podrage said, cracking a small smile.

 

Holly nodded “Alright then. Everyone, get to gathering, and we gotta go.”

 

As they packed the sack, Holly found an emerald bracelet in a pile. She slipped it into the bag without anyone noticing.

 

~~~~

 

Podrage lead the way towards the opening of the cave, clutching tightly to the velvet sack with her talons. Jimmy was behind her carrying Holly and dragging another sack they found in the treasure cavern.

 

“Just a little farther, and we’re home free you guys.” Jimmy grinned.

 

Holly let out a relieved sigh “It’ll be so good to be back at the cove. I don’t know how much I can take without a cool dip in the water.”

 

_“What is a cove?”_

 

“It’s my little spot near the beach.”

 

“And it’s like a private hangout we have.” Jimmy added.

 

Podrage tilted her head _“Hangout?”_

 

“Oh don’t worry, we’ll show you want a hangout is, and you’ll have a really good time.” Jimmy said.

 

Podrage couldn’t contain her excitement _“That sounds fovero!"_

 

“Fovero?”

 

“Means, amazing.” Holly giggled.

 

“Wait, you know what she’s saying?”

 

“Yes DUMMY, it’s Greek. Or a very close version of it. I picked up some of it while I traveled.”

 

_“_ Ξέρεις αυτό που ονομάζεται πιγκουίνος; _”_

 

Holly blinked.

 

“Ναί. Τι του;”

 

Podrage was silent for a moment.

 

_“_ Είναι σε κίνηση. _”_

 

Jimmy broke the conversation “Okay, I honestly don’t like being the third man out, guys.”

 

Holly looked a bit perplexed by Podrage’s sentence, until a screeching noise echoed through the caverns, making them all halt.

 

Podrage landed and looked white as ice. Jimmy and Holly waited with baited breath.

 

 _“Oh Podrage….you idiotic wench…”_ A sinister sounding voice followed.

 

_“You betray us, your own flesh and blood…”_

 

_“STUPID BIRDY.”_

 

_“And you know what happens to those who betray us?”_

 

Suddenly three harpies followed by a swarm of red eyed owls stared them down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That conversation sure sounds Greek to me. Maybe someone can figure out what it means...
> 
> (ps, the intro means in Greek: Ever to Excel)
> 
>  
> 
> (EDIT: Google Translate is a bitch so here is the translation) SPOILERS
> 
>  
> 
> "Do you know of the one called Penguin?"  
> "Yes. What of him?"  
> "HE IS ON THE MOVE."


	48. We Are The Warriors

The group was surrounded; owls and harpies with eyes red like blood, fixated on them and ready to attack at any moment. If anyone so much as flinched, the fight would be on.

 _“Why do you do this to us, to your own kind...for what? These deceivers?”_ Aello hissed.

Podrage’s eyes darted to Jimmy and Holly.

_“What will they give you that we do not have? We give you shelter, we give you food…”_

_“These thieves cannot give you what you desire.”_ Celaeso joined.

Podrage glanced back at her harpy sisters.

 _“T...They wish, to be my friends...they care for me..”_ Podrage mumbled.

 _“Friends? You take friends over your family?”_ Aello frowned.

“You call yourselves her family? No one should be treated this way!” Jimmy protested, as the harpies snickered.

 _“Silly human, you do not meddle with our affairs.”_ Celaeco said lowly.

“Leave him alone.” Holly hissed, her eyes glowing red.

_“You liars have no power in this. She is our blood, our species.”_

_“Stupid stupid stupid stupid…”_ Ocypete cackled.

Jimmy bit his lip, looking reading to explode on the winged beasts. But Podrage’s wing stopped him in his path. She was silent, and still hanging her head to the floor.

Jimmy and Holly watched in tense silence as Podrage raised her head to face her siblings. There was a pause before she got the courage to speak;

_“This...is not family. This is...torture...”_

The harpies were stunned. She continued, her voice getting louder.

_“You all, ever since my hatching, have treated me like I meant nothing….just an object to toss aside and break. These scars...are not my own doing. And you ALL know it. These ‘thieves’...are more family than any harpy in this godforsaken cave. I am finished, being nothing to you. I am Podrage. And I...am not yours to keep.”_

_“Wretched vulture!”_ Aello screamed.

Podrage stared them down. The owls flapped their long wings, seeming to be...afraid.

_“You WILL revoke your words...or YOU will die as well.”_

Podrage didn’t speak, and instead, moved beside Jimmy and Holly, not once breaking her stare.

 _“...You’ve chosen your death.”_ Celaeso growled.

 _“Podrage go bye bye.”_ Ocypete grinned.

The horde of owls suddenly latched off their perches and flew straight for the group, as Jimmy and Holly covered themselves in defence.

Podrage glided in front of them and let out a scream; more powerful than any the other harpies possessed, making the owls halt.

Her green eye lit up bright as an emerald. Podrage barred her teeth, screaming so loudly it echoed through the cave and rocks crumbled and fell from above.

This gave Holly and Jimmy the chance to grab the bags, and pull Podrage back with them as they fled.

The harpies shrieked in pursuit.

Collapsing stalamite toppled to the cave floor; Jimmy narrowly made it around the fallen rocks as Podrage turned frantically _“T-They are close!”_

“F-, What do we do?! Where’s the exit?!” Holly gasped.

 _“It’s down this-”_ Podrage started before a boulder landed in front of the group. They skidded to a stop.

“Shit! Uh…” Jimmy whipped his head around, trying to see an opening anywhere. He spotted a hole, big enough to go into, leading downwards.

“Guys, over here!” Jimmy yelled, running to the hole.

“W-Are you crazy?!” Holly gripped Jimmy’s shirt.

“Podrage, does this lead anywhere?”

_“I-I’m not certain.”_

“One way to find out.”

Jimmy grabbed the bag and cannon-balled into the hole; Holly’s scream echoed on the way down.

Podrage grabbed her bag and dived downwards.
    
    
    ~~

The fall was short, but they soon landed in the middle of dead leaves and lush vines, somehow growing from the patches of forest trees absorbed in the cave walls. They stood, quickly brushing vines away as they ran towards the direction the exit cave was above.

 _“This...is no where I have been…”_ Podrage admitted.

“Well there’s no going back now.” Jimmy said.

“Those guys aren’t gonna give up so easily. If they don’t find us now, they’ll keep going until they do.” Holly replied gravely.

Jimmy blinked, suddenly seeing a break of light. “Come on!”

The three continued forward, out of the mesh and into the ‘light’. What they were met with, was [ a chasm leading to a pool of water below. ](https://moontanclan.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/emerald-cave.jpg)

“Jimmy...this is a shallow drop.” Holly pointed out. Indeed, the small cliffedge they stood on went straight for the water, showing the rocks of the shallow. If they fell in, they’d probably die on impact.

“Shit, okay um…” Jimmy looked around for anything to climb down on.

“Wait!’ Holly said, tapping Jimmy’s shoulder to get his attention.  She gestured to the thick foliage they went through. “We can use the vines as rope.”

“To climb down?”

“Yes! Help me find one long enough.”

Jimmy nodded, looking through the vines until he found a solid one to use. “Okay, you gotta get down for a second.”

Holly nodded as Jimmy lightly placed her on the ground while pulling the vine far enough for them to toss over the edge.

 _“What do we do with these?”_ Podrage asked, lifting the velvet bag up.

“We can toss them down there and...”

Podrage suddenly perked up.

_“Wait._

_…_

_T..They know we’re-”_

Suddenly Ocypete jumped through the vines and grabbed Podrage by the neck. The two harpies scuffled on the ground, kicking and slashing at one another.

 _“BAD PODRAGE BAD!!”_ Ocypete screamed, tearing into Podrage’s wings.

Holly gasped.The siren sprung onto Ocypete’s back, trying to pull her off her victim. The harpy hissed, rolling along the ground with Holly still attached, until they both careened off the edge into the pool of water below.

**“HOLLY!!!”**

Jimmy and Podrage could only hear the sound of a loud splash.

“Holly!!!” Jimmy screamed, running to the edge to look. Podrage peeked over.

There was nothing at the top for a solid minute. Until a form floated above to the surface. It didn’t move.

“Oh my god…”

Holly instantly rose from the deeper side of the water with a newfound bruise on her shoulder and elbow. The dead body of Ocypete floated beside her; the harpy’s back was contorted and uneven.

Podrage mumbled _"S-Sister..."_

“Holly, are you okay?!” Jimmy called, as the siren looked up in dismay “Y-Yeah!”

 _“Not for long.”_ Podrage gasped _“I can hear them…”_

“Come on, we gotta get down there.”

Podrage turned, seeing the bags and started to toss them over into the water. From below, Holly moved out of the way for the bags to land on the top. However their velvet material made them start to sink; having Holly grab them and pull them up. They felt heavy and impossible to lift.

Podrage began to flap, gasping. Jimmy noticed Podrage was bleeding under one of her wings.

“P-Podrage, you’re hurt.” Jimmy blinked.

 _“Do not worry about me. Let’s leave.”_ Podrage protested.

Jimmy looked at her for a moment, before lightly grabbing her around the waist. She blushed at this sudden close contact. He took hold of the vine, and began to slide down with Podrage in his free arm.

Once they reached the shallow water, Holly came up to them nervously.

“Okay I found a way out.” She said.

“Where?”

Holly then pointed downwards. Beneath them, a small light escaped and illuminated the bottom of the water.

Jimmy was silent before heaving.

“Fuck.”

“Well, it’s something.” Holly said.

Podrage (after awkwardly escaping Jimmy’s grip) dipped her head into the pool, then lifted it back up with a wet face and hair _“It is small, but enough space.”_

“What about the stuff?”

“We can try pulling it with us at the bottom.” Holly suggested.

“Podrage JUST said it was small.” Jimmy frowned.

“I’m not leaving my things, Jimmy.”

“Holly, I don’t want you to either, but this is our lives on the line.”

“....So, after all this, you wanna just ditch everything?”

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Yes it is! These are important to me, Jimmy!”

“I know that!”

“We’ve nearly gotten killed getting these back, I’m not leaving them. It would have all been for nothing.”

“...Holly-”

Holly frowned, getting a bag and swimming to the bottom with it in her arms.

Jimmy huffed and combed his hair through with his fingers. Sometimes, she was a handful.

Podrage turned, hearing the echoes of harpy screams. _“They can’t find Ocypete…”_

She glanced at the body of her dead sister. Water filled in her eyes.

Jimmy glanced at Podrage, who was slightly hunched over in grieving “Come on...we gotta go…” Jimmy said, lightly placing a hand on her shoulder.

Podrage nodded, as Jimmy grabbed the last bag and climbed into the pool, disappearing beneath.

The harpy went over the the body. Her dead sister’s gaze at the sky made Podrage tense up. Her blue eyes, once bright like lightning, were dimmed. She moved the blonde hair from her frozen face and whispered:

_“_ Σας συγχωρώ, αδελφή _….”_

With that, Podrage followed Jimmy and dove into the water. Her vision was blurry at first, before it could finally adjust. She could see Holly trying to push the bag she took with her through the hole, but it was too large to squeeze through. Jimmy angrily waved his arms as Holly replied, muffled by the water, “I GET IT, OKAY?!”

Podrage began to swim before she felt talons clench into her back. She screamed, sending bubbles out of her mouth.

Holly looked up, seeing Podrage was being tugged by Aello and Celaeso; both harpies thrashed at her viciously. Holly could see blood evaporating in the water.

“JIMMY, PODRAGE!” Holly pointed, getting Jimmy’s attention to the fight. Jimmy began to swim up and kick back Aello from her grip. The harpy slashed at him, but luckily Jimmy was fast. Podrage’s eyes began to close from the lack of oxygen.

 

Holly bit her lip, looking back at the hole then to the scuffle. If she had something heavy to push the harpies back with…

And the hole could be opened to escape,

But…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, don't turn away now, WE ARE THE WARRIORS WHO BUILT THIS TOWN!  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvoxSZluRRY
> 
>  
> 
> ("I forgive you, sister")


	49. A Bird in the Hand

**“….Καθίκι! (Son of a bitch!)”**

Holly swam to the bag and tugged it back with all her might. Meanwhile Jimmy had swam beneath Celaeso and tried to rip her talons from the tenders of Podrage’s back. They slashed at him, nipping him in the arm but Jimmy wouldn’t give. He kept pulling, frantic as Podrage’s eyes closed more and more.

Holly tugged harder, she could feel the bag finally lift from the hole, and she was able to grab it tightly and swim up to the harpies with all her might. She pulled back and swung at the vicious birds. Aello whipped back, releasing the sinking Podrage. It was able to hit Cealaso in the face; the contents inside the bag came slipping out and floated upwards.

“BACK OFF!” Holly screamed through the bubbles.

Aello hissed, revealing her sharp teeth as she tackled Holly and the two clawed and spun in the water. Celaeso was about to join her sister before seeing Jimmy pulling Podrage with him through the now opened hole. Taking her chance, she flapped for them and reached out with her talons ready.

Jimmy gasped, air escaping his mouth as he kicked her back.

Holly and Aello tangled near the rockwall, ripping at one another with fingers and claws. Holly tried to grab for a rock embedded behind her, but none came out.

Suddenly an object floated from the opened bag; the emerald bracelet she had stashed away before. Thinking quickly, she grabbed for it, and slipped it over both of Aello’s feet, tying both her talons together so she couldn’t attack back. The harpy screeched through the water in anger, flapping her enormous wings to hit Holly against the wall.

Holly then swatted Aello back with her tail and with one breath, she let out a siren scream that shook the whole water cavern around them. Rocks began falling from the roof above, but Holly continued to scream, while the massive stalagmite pierced into the water like daggers. Caleano looked up too late; the stalagmite impaling into one of her wings and pinning her to the cave’s floor.

Seeing her opportunity, Holly darted for Jimmy and Podrage, pulling them by the arm and wing and pushed them into the hole as she followed and a boulder closed off the hole behind them.

~~~

Jimmy gasped for the air that finally came into his aching lungs. He lifted his head to the sky, thanking the gods. 

He coughed and turned his head, seeing that he was on the sand of a small beach a good distance from the collapsed cavern. Not far from him laid Podrage, being tended by Holly. She had her eyes shut, her chest rose and fell faintly.

“Holly…” Jimmy coughed again, sitting up. The siren looked up, looking relieved to see Jimmy awake.

“Hey…” She said lightly.

“You...you okay?”

Holly shrugged “I’ve been through worse…”

Jimmy placed his hand on the new wound on his arm and winced. “That was...really intense back there.”

“Yeah...Podrage got the worst of it.” Holly frowned.

Jimmy crawled over to her side and looked over the harpy. She was pale in the face; the sand beneath her had traces of red.

“Will she be okay?” Jimmy asked.

“I think we should take her to my cove. With luck, I might be able to make something to help.” Holly said. Podrage faintly opened her eyes, and muttered something. Holly leaned in to listen.

_ “..οι φίλοι μου..” _

Holly smiled.

“What did she say?” Jimmy asked.

“She said ‘my friends’.” 

Podrage nodded gently, as Jimmy lightly touched her shoulder.

“Alright Podrage, we’re gonna get you better.”

“You’re one of us now.” 

 

~~~

 

An hour or so after returning to the cove, Podrage was better than before. Though she was still weak, she had been bandaged up and propped against Holly’s makeshift bed.

The cove was a mess, but Jimmy had taken the time to move some things to make space. Regardless, it was good to be back.

“So…” Jimmy said out of the blue, making Holly look up at him and raise an eyebrow.

“So?” Holly questioned.

“You gave up all your things.” Jimmy replied. There was a small sound of regret in his voice.

Holly sighed “I...couldn’t let you guys suffer for what I put you through.”

Podrage tilted her head gently  _ “I thought you could not leave them behind?” _

“Some things, I couldn’t. But...if it came down to my friends, and their welfare...there’s no contest.”

“But-”

“They’re just things, Jimmy.” Holly shrugged. “Besides...you can always start over.”

Jimmy grinned, letting out a small laugh “Just don’t go grave robbing this time.”

“Oh, that was ONCE.” Holly scoffed. Podrage giggled  _ “There are places I have heard, that carry abandoned things.” _

“Hmm…would that make us...pirates? You know, plundering riches and such?” Jimmy asked.

“Maybe? I don’t know how they work.” Holly replied.

Suddenly as if on cue, Podrage lifted her head up and blinked. 

“What is it?” Jimmy frowned.

_ “There are...other sirens, outside the cove entrance.” _

Jimmy turned to go, but Holly stopped him, grabbing his pant leg. She looked at him gravely “Maybe I should take this.”

Jimmy gave her a worried look before nodding and going to sit near Podrage. Holly glanced at them before diving below the water, and arose outside of the cove.

 

Podrage was right, at least four sirens were at the top of the water. Two she had never seen before, a girl and boy, and two following behind them; Holly’s lieutenants of her army.

 

“Commander Holly, we’re sorry to intrude. But these two sirens wish to speak with you.” One lieutenant said; fair and red-haired chopped up to her earlobes.

Holly asserted herself, and looked at the mystery sirens sternly. “Where do you hail from? And who is your ruler?”

The female siren blinked with jade eyes “Me and my brother, hail from the Eastern Seas, under the rule of Queen Suzy.” 

Holly looked slightly surprised at the mention of Suzy “W-What does her Majesty call upon you two for?”

The red haired boy siren, with massive green eyes like his sister, meekly said “She seeks assistance. In the rescue of her brother, Dan.”

“Dan...I remember him. Though it has been quite a while since I’ve heard that name. What is he in need of rescue from?”

“They say pirates took him, Commander.” Holly’s other lieutenant said; she had shoulder length black hair and bright blue eyes.

The jade eyed siren nodded nervously “They took him prisoner a few months ago, and we, that is, Suzy and her scouts, have followed the ship with no success.”

“By no success, she means we haven’t fought back yet. But that’s why we come to you, madame Commander.” The male siren said.

“What does Suzy’s plans entail?” Holly frowned.

“In advance, she seeks your army to prepare to attack.” the male siren replied.

Holly bit her lip; sirens of that multitude would be a challenge to recruit. Yet, Suzy had helped her in the past…

“How soon does she want this army?”

“No time is set. But an alliance between our armies is what she wants.”

Holly took a few minutes to think over her choice. At least, she asked her lieutenants Deer and Andrea to leave her alone with the two sirens.

The two apparent siblings rested from their journey over.

“So, my army is small. Concerning my current standings with the Western Seas’ Queen, it might be a challenge to bring an independent group with me all the way to the East. But, for the sake of Suzy as she’s helped me in the past, I’ll consult with my Queen.” Holly advised.

“If it doesn’t work?” The jade eyed siren asked.

“Then...I take the chance and independently go. If all goes well, I will escort myself, an army of say...thirty sirens, and two extras, to join in your attack plan.” 

“Oh thank you, Commander.” The male siren sighed.

“Don’t thank me yet. There’s apparently a war in the works. For now, you both should rest. My lieutenants will see that you’re well rested before you venture back.”

  
As Holly spoke, a form near the beach listened intentively before dipping into the water to disappear like it wasn’t even there. 


	50. Where Are You?

Mark’s eyes widened at the scene around him; nothing but fog and thick grey for miles. The ghost didn’t remember how he even came to this place, one minute he was looming the halls of the ship and the next he was suddenly here. No one for what stretched to infinity it seemed and Mark’s fear increased.

“...H-Hey! Hey! Anyone?!” 

He couldn’t see anyone, yet slowly he could feel a slithering incorporeal being coming closer and closer to him. He had felt this before; the emerging sense of dread of a single antagonistic spirit, one that had tormented his fellow crewmen in the hours of the night with just his name alone.

“I know you’re there...Cry of the Sea…” Mark’s voice went low.

The sounds of sloshing water and droplets echoing entered Mark’s ears from behind him. And a form took hold, looming above him like a tidal wave. 

**_“The fallen captain…how are things in limbo?”_ **

“Awful. But you wouldn’t know, since your sorry ass hasn’t been there yet.”

**_“Heh, big words coming from someone who died by the ocean’s hand.”_ **

“Why did you bring me to this place?”

**_“To settle the score. See, Mark- can I call you Mark?”_ **

“No.”

**_“See Mark...my little game isn’t going too well...the players are getting antsy and want out, and with you around, it makes things...too easy.”_ **

“Easy?”

**_“That mangy ‘captain’ that runs your ship, he alone knows you exist. And what good would it do for my game if the truth was told to him by someone against the rules?”_ **

“What rules?”

**_“The ones I make. And you can’t break them.”_ **

The spirit’s form moved back and forth behind Mark, like he was pacing and waiting for a response.

“So...what, you’ll just keep my soul here in this-this purgatory till your stupid plan goes through?”

**_“Aw, silly boy. I can’t just let you go once it’s over.”_ **

“Look, you can keep my soul or whatever it is you want! I just want my friends to be safe.”

**_“Safe? After what they did?”_ **

“They did nothing to you! You’re just torturing them because you’re so bent on getting what you want. You take pleasure in ruining lives, you scared, immature, overzealous, miserable prick!” 

Cry’s form appeared before Mark with empty eyes glaring back at his own grey irises. 

**_“There’s a reason why I won’t rid of you after my plan is through, captain. Because after they get what they have coming, I’ll give you MUCH WORSE.”_ **

Mark’s brow furrowed as he stared down the sea spirit.

“If you're so inclined to make me suffer, do it here and now...or are you afraid to?”

Cry looked taken aback  **_“Why would I be afraid?”_ **

“Perhaps you think I could get away…”

The spirit came within inches of the ghost, his empty grey eyes staring into Mark’s soul.

**_“I’ll like to see you try.”_ **

Mark would not yield. 

“SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT.”

Cry’s mouth formed a devilish smile  **_“This should be fun.”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So THAT'S where Mark's been! Crazy, huh?  
> also HAPPY 50 CHAPTERS! WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO A HUNDRED NOW, THIS BLOWS MY MIND.  
> Thank you all so much for sticking with me for this long, I love this story and it's a huge part of me. 
> 
> To the fans of this series, thank you. I couldn't have gotten this far without you, and without your support I wouldn't have been able to keep going with this story, any of the others, or even to be in the fandom. Depression is a bitch and keeps me from things I love A LOT. So I'm thankful that you guys can boost me up when I need it most.
> 
> And I wanna thank the ones who got me this far. Some people I've had with me since the beginning, and some who left me in the long run. I appreciate all you've done, and I look forward to keeping this story going and getting to that sweet victorious finale it'll one day have. <3
> 
> But for now, let's hope Mark makes it out of the dreamscape and gets back to the guys!


	51. Turn and Face the Strange

Arin awoke to the bright light of morning flooding into his bedroom; the smells of dust and salt entered his nostrils. 

It had been a good few months out on the sea since Dan had changed from his old form to what he was now; a human being. 

Mark had talked to Arin about this, yet on that same night, Mark vanished. Arin had assumed he was just out of sight, but now it was almost month four since the ghost’s last visit. Even his longer disappearances didn't last more than three weeks at a time, and this concerned Arin. Now he could only rely on himself for advice.

Arin took in a breath, but it hitched in his throat. There was something light weighing down on his chest. Puzzled, he slightly sat up to investigate, and found a sleeping Danny sprawled all over the bed. One of his arms was laid across Arin and he seemed to be holding him closely.

“Daaaaaan….the fuuuuuuuck?” Arin groaned tiredly. Dan shifted, his hair rustling as he moved.

“Whaa…whadda want?” He grumbled back.

“You’re on top of me, maaaan…”Arin murmured.

“It's not my fault you're comfffy…” Dan cuddled himself closer to Arin, content with their positions.

Arin groaned again, and lightly pushed him off his chest, making Dan whine as he was flipped onto his back. “Not faaair…” Dan replied.

“You had all night to cuddle and hug me, Dan. Besides, it's morning, we should be getting up.” Arin said, kicking off his sheets and standing up from the bed.

“Fiiiiine…” Dan began to sit up as well, gently moving his matted fluffy hair from his face. Once he parted his locks, Arin could see the little blue freckles leftover from his old form. He couldn't help but smirk.

“Remind me to buy you something to tie your hair back with next time we dock.” 

Dan looked up at him.

“I thought you liked it long?” 

“I mean I  _ do _ , but doesn’t it get annoying having it constantly move it out of your face?” 

Dan shrugged “I guess? I never really thought about that.”

“Trust me, you’ll see the world much clearer without all that fro…” Arin laughed, ruffling Dan’s hair and making it more messy. Dan huffed, brushing his hair once more.

Arin held his hand out and Dan took it, gently pulling him out of bed and on his feet. After the last few months, Dan had gotten accustomed to walking better. He wasn’t the wobbly toddler that he had been before. 

“Anyways,” Arin continued, “Like I said a ribbon might do your hair some good… Maybe you could get one for your sister too?”

“Sister?” Dan mumbled.

“I thought you said you had a sister?”

“...No?...I don't think so…”

“Ah...heh, I must be losing my marbles.”

Dan shrugged, clearly confused but shook it off.

As they continued to talk, Ross suddenly ran into the room huffing “H-Hey, hey guys..” he said as he leaned on the doorway out of breath.

“What's wrong, Ross?” Arin asked, concerned by his exhausted state.

“W-We...docked, near…an island off the coast of Wokou…” Ross said, pointing weakly upstairs.

“Oh good,” Arin said, “We can get to that shipping yard before the tides change. Dan, you comin’?” He began heading for the door and snagged his jacket off its hanger. 

Dan nodded, following behind him and heading upstairs. Once all three of them made it to the deck, they were met with vast ocean except for one measly island in the middle of nowhere. It's small size gave some questions as to why a major trade port would be located there, but it seemed to be doing fine as it was.

Arin gazed out into the distance, letting the breeze blow through his hair. He couldn't help but smile at the feeling of the wind. As he let this moment sink in, Brian, Jack and Barry met up with the group.

“So, apparently someone, ahem  _ Ross,  _ didn’t tell you, this was the ABANDONED trading port, Odokuro. The real one is about a day’s off from here.” Brian grumbled and crossed his arms. Arin hummed, not letting his gaze shift.

“I think we should make a stop there anyways. There might be some fruits or lost valuables around there.” He said.

“I dunno,” Jack sighed, “I know it's abandoned but… it seems a bit sketchy.”

“Psssh, it won’t be that bad. I mean, no one’s here to say no.” Arin shrugged.

“And we’re  _ pirates,  _ Jack-a-boy. Stealing isn’t out of our realm of knowledge.” Ross smirked, nudging Jack lightly in the arm.

“Alright, but I have a bad feeling in my gut…” Jack grumbled.

"Ah, it's probably just the thrill of your first looting trip." Arin teased.

Dan glanced at the island; he also felt a bit unsure about this place. Not because it was stealing, but a different looming feeling, like...he knew what happened before on that island. But he couldn’t remember.

~~~

The crew anchored along the rotten wooden dock, as they tied down their ropes to the shore below. 

“Alright, here’s the plan. Brian, Ross and I, head off into the abandoned ship beside the shore and scope it out. Barry; You, Jack and Dan stay and keep watch. Clear?” Arin advised, getting his sword out and ready just in case. Barry nodded, checking one last time to make sure the rope was secured.

“We'll keep everything in order… I'll try to keep the boat from floating off should this docks give way.” He assured.

Dan approached the captain; his fingers twisting in nervous fidgeting.

“Arin...I’m with Jack on this one...something’s not right… I-I think, something here is bad, but...gah, I can't remember what.” Dan said timidly.

“It’ll be fine. We’ll just, see what’s here and if we find nothing, we’ll head out. Don’t worry.” Arin assured, lightly putting a hand on Dan's shoulder for comfort.

Dan looked unsure, but nodded back as Arin and his team climbed down from the boat and carefully walked along the rotting dock. The wood creaked beneath them, almost ready to give out with one step. Yet they were able to maneuver their way onto the beach, and began their walk towards the forgotten ship. 

The three pressed on as Ross observed the beach around them. The sand was a dull grey and littered with shells and broken bits of wood carried in by the tides. A few trees were present along the shore, but none that bared fruit as far as Ross could tell. There were also a few low shrubs, though they seemed to be shedding their leaves for the year.

He looked around a bit more, slacking behind Brian and Arin as he did. While he walked, he suddenly heard the sounds of rustling in the woods. Ross jerked his head, scouting for the source of the sound. However, he found nothing. Ross glared at the trees.

“Ross, keep up, will ya?” Arin called. Ross looked into the woods for a few moments, then turned back to catch up with his friends.

Once he caught up to them, Brian and Arin were looking up at the docked boat. 

“I don’t know, climbing along the side might make our weight collapse on it’s side.” Brian pointed out.

“Well, we came this far,” Arin reminded, “Let's just do a quick scope of the area, then we can move on.”

“Alright. Give me a moment.” Brian said, going over to the boat’s stern and chucking a rope to the top with a sharp hook. In seconds, Brian climbed up the rope and jumped into the boat with ease.

“OH SURE, the assassin’s being a showoff.” Arin called up. Brian rolled his eyes, scoffing.

“If it have a skill I might as well use it.” He murmured. 

Ross’ eyes shifted from the woods back to Arin “Arin, can I go up before you?”

“Why?” Arin asked.

“Uh...n-no reason.” Ross said as nonchalantly as possible. Arin sighed.

“I suppose, just be careful alright?” He warned. Ross made no haste climbing up the rope to join Brian. 

He made it to the top and looked out at the ship’s deck, which had been completely overgrown in moss and fungi. Even tiny barnacles had grown along the sides of the rails and stairs.

“I don't think we'll find much on this piece of junk, but no hurt in looking.” Ross stated.

“Yeah.” The three of them traversed the beached vessel, being careful not to set off any rotted wood or possible leftover traps. Ross noticed a few spots where the moss had been peeled away. He assumed some bird might have used it as nesting material. That or… whatever that thing he heard in the woods was (which also could have very well been a bird).

“Wow...this thing is in really bad shape.” Arin commented, nudging a part of the railing at the helm before it snapped off.

“That’s what happens when these things are left out to the weather with no one watching or taking care of it,” Brian commented, “They rot away… though this one has managed to house some new life it seems.” 

Arin carefully made his way down the cracking steps to the middle of the ship “Alright um, I say we split up. I’ll take the cabins, Brian, you take the captain’s quarter, and Ross can check around here.” Everyone nodded and took to their assigned areas.

Ross wasn't too impressed by what he'd found, which mostly consisted of rusted nails and a gross moldy bit of what he assumed used to be the sail. He instead took to looking around in the distance. From one end he could see the vast ocean they had come from, waves gently rocking along the horizon. And from the other he saw the eerie forest which they had walked by earlier. 

Ross wasn't sure what it was, but something told himself this place would be less creepy without those woods. They seemed to hide away something that gave him a sense of grim. Maybe Jack was right?

He had to shake it off; this wouldn’t get anywhere just looking out at the forest.

He tried looking around for anything of value, but could only find faded flags and empty rum bottles in a crate beside him. Ross grumbled in frustration. He'd wish he could have scouted in the lower deck. But he knew if not him someone would have to stay up top… keep watch for anything unusual. Like other ships… or swarms of animals… or a pair of eyes…

Suddenly the trees rustled in the woods again, this time tiny birds flew out and away. With it, a faint ringing came into his ears then disappeared shortly after. Ross looked into the forest, not daring to step off of the ship. He felt small, like something could come up and crush him into nothing. Still, his eyes were glued to the overgrowth of the island. If he saw anything dangerous he'd need to warn the others.

...Maybe just a peek wouldn’t be a bad thing. He needed to keep watch anyway, right? It'd only be a minute… He could be over there and back before the other two even notice he'd left… if he wanted… Ross took a deep breath, carefully sliding down the rope and back onto the coarse sand of the beach. He readied his knife, just in case he had to defend himself.

Taking careful steps, he headed towards the wood with his weapon prepared to strike. 

“W-Whoever you are...I’m armed…” Ross warned the possibly non-existent enemy. He swore he heard the sounds of bones crunching into each other from a distance. He raised his knife.

“J-just come out… I won't hurt you if you won't hurt me!” Ross stated, trying to mask his fear.

Just as he said that, the rustling came closer and closer to Ross before it came into view. It wasn’t a monster or an animal, it was a boy. He was almost as tall as Ross; raggedy brown hair with slightly broken glasses, he was dripping wet and reeked of sea water as he skidded to a stop to catch his breath. He looked like he had been in a ghastly fight; cuts and a large bruise were on his arms and legs. And from his watery body and tattered clothes, made it seem like he had swam for days almost.

“What th-?” Ross muttered. For a moment, he swore there was a sense of familiarity about this person. Something about his face… and the glasses… 

“T..The Penguin?” Ross gasped. The boy lifted his head at the name and blinked at him.

“Y...I-It’s you! The guy from the bar with that masked guy and my map?? The hell are you doing here?!” He stammered. 

Ross stared at him in bewilderment.

“How… Why….What are  _ you _ doing all the way out here?! Don't you have a bar to run or something?” He questioned.

“Y-Yeah...I-I needed to...find someone…” The Penguin said, while he tried breathing normally and shifting his eyes to the side.

“And you really had to find someone all the way out here? We're like… a bazillion miles from Port Jared!”

“Look that’s not important right now, man. I-I need...to find someone and get to them fast. There’s something...there’s something they gotta know. And this place-you’re in danger here.” The Penguin urged.

“D-Danger? What is it?”

“Something...something you wouldn’t believe…I barely got out of there...”

“There? What? W-Who are you looking for? What's their name?” Ross had millions of questions to ask.

  
“The-the guy, his name is D-” Penguin began before boney hands sprang from the sand and grabbed Ross by his legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! The return of the fan favorite, the Penguin!
> 
> This is kinda his way back into the plot. He has a lot more kept under wraps than we thought before..
> 
> (special thanks to my bro @PenguinPatrolArmy for co-writing this chapter with me!!)
> 
> ((the title of this chapter is a line from David Bowie's song Changes))


	52. ペンギン離れて

**“AHHHHHH!”**

Penguin jumped back as Ross fell onto his stomach on top of the sand. The skeletal hands clutched onto him with outrageous force, keeping him almost pinned to the ground.

Ross frantically kicked around “PENGUIN, HELP!!”

“Get off him, man!” 

Penguin then ran up to the hands and picked them with one swift kick. The hands broke apart and pieces of bone scattered along the beach. Penguin extended a hand to Ross “Come on, we gotta go!”

“What the hell w-”

“NO TIME TO EXPLAIN!” Penguin interrupted.

__

Dan ruffled his hair. He...he knew he had something to remember...he was sure of it. Why was this place so familiar to him, yet also a complete mystery?

“Dan?” Jack asked, coming up from behind the confused man. Dan snapped out of his thoughts and nodded “Yeah?”

“You seem a little out of it, something wrong?” 

Dan took a breath “I-I feel like, something’s wrong on this island…”

Barry, who had been reading his book, looked up as well “You’re getting it, too. Why did Arin think it’d be okay to dock here?”

“He’s stubborn.”

“Okay yes, but I mean...we must be the only ones who think something’s up.”

Dan leaned against the mast, and looked out at the ocean. “Maybe we should find them; let them know of what we know.”

Jack shrugged “We could. You think they’d listen?”

“I don’t-” Dan stopped as a screech entered his ears, and he turned to the noise. From the beach, two human shaped people seemed to be backing away from something hidden in the woods. Dan blinked, running to the ship’s front and seeing Ross and Penguin shielding one another from whatever was after them.

Jack and Barry ran up to his side. The Irish yelled over the side “Ross! What are ya doin’, man?!”

Ross looked up at them “GET THE CAPTAIN, WE GOTTA G-” 

Suddenly an arrow shot from the trees at lightning speed and pierced the ship’s bow. This made everyone stop as the real threat approached them. Tall skeletons, walking with swords, bows, axes and shields, stepped threateningly into the sand, garnered in plates of armor and long dead explorer helmets.

“Oh my god…” Jack gasped, grabbing onto Dan’s wrist fearfully. Dan, however, looked like he had seen a ghost. 

“Kappa, karera no ōsama ni chūi shite kudasai…” Dan mumbled under his breath; it came out like a whisper, and like he was in a trance.

“Dan?” Barry scanned him worryingly.

“What the fuck do we do?” Ross questioned. The Penguin stepped back “I don’t know, man! I tried everything!”

Out of nowhere a blur appeared from behind a skeleton, and in one swoop, broke it apart as Brian stood where it was. Arin yelled out a cry and slashed a few at once, making them crumble into bones. All they could do was watch Brian and Arin single handedly take out the crowd of skeletons together before going to where Ross and Penguin stood.

“We leave for five minutes and this happens.” Brian grumbled.

“The fuck, why didn’t anyone say anything? And who’s this kid?” Arin frowned, pointing his sword end at Penguin.

Penguin moved it away with his finger “The Penguin, at your service.”

“Yeah well, it’d be a service to me if you explain yourself. Who or what is happening here?” 

The Penguin was about to speak before the sounds of bones cracking made everyone stop. They turned, seeing the skeletons reassembling themselves into full bodies. Arin readied his sword.

Before he could react, one skeleton came charging at him with a mighty club and slammed Arin’s side as he was flown to the sand in a hard thud. Brian ran at him with his dagger before a different skeleton jumped on top of him, pinning him to the sand.

“Guys!” Ross yelled, running over to help. He grabbed a large rock and began slamming skeletons in the head with it as he bolted. The Penguin followed, then turned to the ship. Barry had jumped down, Jack had his pistol out, shooting at the boney fiends below, but Danny is what caught his eye.

He was...mumbling, and looking off into the distance. 

“He looks like him…” Penguin whispered to himself. Then ran off to Ross’ side.

“Dude, dude! My guy, the one I was looking for, he’s with you!” Penguin said frantically.

Ross stopped mid-slamming and turned “Guy? You mean, Dan?”

“That’s him! I need to tell him something; this could cause the end of a mass population. He NEEDS to hear what I have to say.” Penguin frowned.

“Fight off these guys with us, and we’ll get you to him.” Ross stated, throwing the rock like a frisbee and hitting two skeletons in a row.

The Penguin nodded, running up to a boney monster, running underneath him, and jumping onto his back. With one pull, he ripped the head right off the spine.

Jack shot again; but heard the click of his gun. “Fuck, I’m out. Dan-”

Dan was gone. He had already made it to the sand. 

His bare feet dug into the pebbles; he stood on the water's edge still glaring into nothing.

“Kappa, karera no ōsama ni chūi shite kudasai...Kappa, karera no ōsama ni chūi shite kudasai…”

“Dan, what are you doing?!” Jack yelled, using a rope and climbing down from the ship. He came up to Dan and waved a hand over his face.

“Get everyone out, we can’t fight these things for long!” Arin yelled, hitting a skeleton with the butt-end of his sword.

“You heard the man, let’s go!” Barry shouted.

Ross turned to hear them, but as he did, he was hit in the face by a skeletal hand, making a perfect punch that sent him onto the floor. The Penguin kicked a few more around him, but they soon circled the boy, and grabbed him by the arms. 

Ross moaned, lifting his face up to hazily see Penguin being quickly pulled away by the skeletons at sword-point back into the woods.

“H-Hey! Leave him alone!” Ross yelled weakly, getting back up and running for them. Brian stopped him with a grab at his shoulder “Come on, we need to go!”

“Brian, we can’t leave him!”

“Why?!”

“HE NEEDS MY HELP!” Ross shouted, grabbing a stray sword on the sand and dashing into the thick jungle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooo here we go (god this update took way too long im sorry OTL)  
> ペンギン離れて  
> translated literally means "Penguin Away" XD  
> (Dan says: カッパ、彼らの王様に注意してください。)


	53. Skullasaurus

The Penguin put a hand to his head and winced.

The blunt blow to his head only made his vision blurrier than it already was; all around him bamboo rods were circled and tied tight with vines. A lovely cage. And he was the show inside.

“Well this sucks…” he mumbled.

His eyes landed on the guards in front of the opening; both branding long spears. They turned their attention to him as their sixth senses kicked in.

“H-Hey! Um...Bob, Wade? Hah, um, guys you gotta remember me, right? The Penguin? I mean, you might not recognize me, I wasn’t as rugged as I am now…” Penguin awkwardly tried.

They looked at him in puzzlement.

“..Come on, guys. I know I might have...split you apart once or twice, but it’s water under the bridge, you know...”

The skeletons then whispered amongst each other, which seemed more like jaws clicking back and forth with no sound. Until they opened the cage and grabbed him, tugging them along with them.

Penguin gasped “Ow! Come on- guys, we can work this out. Seriously! I didn't do anything…”

They walked towards the thicker park of the jungle, revealing a crumbling temple where a single rock pedestal still remained from millenias of decay. It faced the temple like it was some sort of offering table before a throne.

The skeletons then shoved him onto the rock, as he groaned on impact.

“You guys are gonna get it when I'm out of this.” the Penguin began, before the rumble of stones made him stop.

He turned his attention towards the temple, and slowly a skeletal hand the size of a carriage stretched from the inside and pulled whatever was attached out. It revealed itself as a giant skeleton, towering over the others and the Penguin like ants. It had markings all over its pearl white coating; in red scrawled tattoos and symbols.

Penguin stood nervously and laughed “Heh...Heyyy...Shigeru!...haven't seen you in...a few years. How's uh, how's things?”

Shigeru clenched his boney fist and spoke in a deepened monstrous tone **“Anata wa watashi ni sonoyōni hanasu koto ga dekiru to omoimasu ka? Anata ga dare to hanashite iru no ka shitte imasu ka?”**

(Do you think you can talk to me that way? Do you know who you are talking to?)

 

“O-Of course! The great and wise and all powerful Shigeru of Odokuro! I'd never ever dishonor you, sir. Not after the hospitality you bestowed upon me.”

 

**“Anata wa watashi kara nanika jūyōna mono o nusunda!”**

(You stole something important from me!)

His response shook the woods around them.

The Penguin anxiously scoffed “Stole? I-I would never! Not from you, Shigeru. Why you're-you're too good of a ruler for me to steal from you. Surely you believe me?”

 

**“Watashi wa anata o ichido shinjite, sonogo anata wa watashi kara nigemashita. Anata wa" watashi o uragiru koto wa dekinai" to itta.”**

(I believed you once, then you ran away from me. You said "I can not betray you")

 

“Look I-I wasn't in a good place. But I'm getting my act together, see? Haven't stolen from you since. Now can I go please?” Penguin said, folding his hands into a praying position.

**“Sore wa kantande wanai, shōnen. Anata wa mada anata ga nusunda saidan-ga o watashi ni karite imasu. Anata no yōna kemono wa nanika o nokosanakereba naranai koto o wasurete wa naranai.”**

(It's not easy, boy. You still owe me the altarpiece you stole. Remember that beasts like you must leave something.)

 

The Penguin tensed at the mention of that phrase “I'm not a beast.”

 

Shigeru laughed hearteningly, making Penguin feel smaller than before.

**“Anata wa nanidesu ka? Anata wa kemonodesu. Anata wa itsumo kemono ni narudeshou.”**

(What are you? You are a beast. You will always be a beast.)

 

Penguin rubbed his arm.

The skeletons came to the podium and Shigeru signaled them to hold Penguin still.

**“Kare o saidan no fuku no ue ni oki, koko ni kaeshite kudasai. Kare ga karera no mae de shinde iru toki, koreha kamigami ni totte hijō ni yorokobashī kotodesu.”**

(Put him on the altar's clothing and return it here. This is very pleasing for the gods when he is dying in front of them.)

 

Penguin’s eyes bulged “W-Wait! Hey, we made a deal, no sacrifices! Shigeru, babe, come on! We can figure this out, you and I!”

 **“Watashi wa anata ga modotte kuru toki ni anata ga dono yō ni ajiwau ka o kangaedashimashita.”** (I figured out how you taste when you come back.)

 

The Penguin was then dragged away kicking, while the Skeleton King crawled back into his crawlspace till the return of his sacrifice to the gods.

 

~~~

Ross made it into the clearing, sneaking low and slow through the bushes and large leaves. He gripped his only weapon, a stolen sword, in his hand and scanned the area for any movement.

So far, he was alone. For now.

A little farther and he spotted a form rolled in a ball inside of a makeshift prison of bamboo. The guards were out of sight.

“Psst….Penguin?” Ross whispered.

 

The boy lifted his head, and spotted Ross in the thick brush. His hands were tied, and looked to have been tossed around quite a bit. He frowned “Dude, what the f-...what are you doing?”

Ross sighed, coming stealthily to the other side of the bars “Saving you.”

“By yourself?”

“Yeah? If you’d rather I go get my group-”

“No no’ Penguin tried, raising his tied hands a little ‘...look, those guards are coming back really soon. Let’s just fucking go…”

Ross nodded, going over to the opening and seeing the tight knots of more vines tying it together the bamboo. He tugged at it while Penguin crawled over to help as best as he could.

Ross grunted while pulling “Shit..these are tight…”

“Yeah well, they don’t want whatever’s in, to get out.” Penguin mumbled sarcastically.

“Why do they even want you? What’d you do?”

Penguin was silent for a moment before he said “I uh...may have stolen something from them a long time ago. Not my finest half-hour.”

Ross scoffed “Me with every treasure I’ve taken, honestly.”

“It’s worse when you’ve sold off the treasure you took. Then you have to get it back.”

“Never had that problem.”

Penguin tilted his head “Why?”

Ross smirked, his blue eyes glittered “I’m a pirate.”

Penguin raised his eyebrows “Ohhh….”

The pirate pulled tighter to the ropes until they finally snapped from his force. He pulled the ‘door’ open, dropped his sword and came into the cage, trying to untie Penguin’s bonds.

 

“Alright, one more second…then we get the fuck out…”

“...Wait what if-”

 

SLAM! The door closed off behind them, and Ross jolted up. The skeleton guards returned, holding the opening secure as another boney fiend came with wrapped garments.

Ross ran up to the gate, seeing that a skeleton had already snatched his sword “SHIT, HEY! GIVE THAT BACK!” He even tried kicking the bamboo down to no success. The skeletons just looked at him.

“Stop, okay! They’re not gonna give!” Penguin huffed.

“Why? We can’t sit in a fucking cage!”

He kicked once more before Penguin pulled at his shirt, making him pause.

“We won’t need to…” Penguin suddenly went pale, pointing towards the jungle ahead. They both saw flames of purple and blue rising from the temple, and echoes of drums began to play.

“...They’re expecting us now…” Penguin said gravely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've ever seen The Search for Christopher Robin, I commend you for getting this reference XD


	54. The Temple of Doom

The drums steadily played to the setting sky, while the skeletal residence of Odokuro watched from their places along the crumbled remains of the forgotten temple floors. 

The flames blazed, in purple and blue with flickers of red, in the center of the temple, right before the pedestal where the sacrificial offering to the gods would take place.

The great Shigeru appeared from his cavern den, and rose before the flames, towering above all. 

 

**“Watashi no kami, watashi no kyōdai, watashi no min.”**

(my gods, my brothers, my people)

 

**“Kono yoru, shakkin wa hensai sa rerubekidesu. Usotsuki to kemono ga anata ni atae raremasu. Dakara dorobō no seigi to kyohi o ajiwau koto ga dekimasu.”**

(Debts should be repaid this night. Liars and beasts are given to you. So you can taste the justice and refusal of the thief.)

 

**“Sasagemono o motte ki nasai!”**

(Bring the offering!)

 

The clattering of bones and swords clashing against one another filled the area, as two people were pulled from the shadows. Ross and the Penguin, wrapped in cloths of gold and painted with what was hopefully not blood all over their arms and faces.

Their guards held them close, and walked them towards the altar while the drums played again.

Ross’ breath quickened, while Penguin stayed stone faced.

 

“Dude…” Ross mumbled.

“Yeah?”

“This is madness, we gotta get out of this shit!” Ross hissed under his breath.

“How? We’re cornered from every side…” Penguin pointed out. And it was true, the entire arena around them was swarmed with skeletons.

“M-My friends, they gotta come for us…” Ross said.

“Your friends...right, five or six guys against a hundred skeleton soldiers...yeah, the odds aren’t in your favor….” Penguin sighed.

“You don’t know them. There’s an assassin, some skilled fighters, and-”

“A siren...or...WAS one.” Penguin muttered.

Ross tensed “Y...You know about Dan?”

Penguin nodded, before they finally reached the end of the road. The pedestal laid before them, and now, they could only wait.

“He’s the reason I’m here...or, I guess what was my reason, since we’ll be dead in the next few minutes.” Penguin frowned.

“We’ll get out of this.”

“I doubt that very much.”

Ross was about to speak before he heard Penguin say one last thing. 

“I’ll die a beast...like I always was...no doubt of that.”

 

**“Waga kamiyo! Watashi wa ima, korera no dorobō o yaki tsukushi, anata no negai o yawarageru tame ni sorera o zenbu tabemasu.”**

(my god! I burn these thieves now and eat them all to ease your wishes.)

 

“We’re not going out this way…” Ross grunted through his teeth.

 

**“Saisho ni shōnen o korosu!”**

(first KILL THE BOY!)

 

Suddenly a pistol shot rang through the area, causing everyone to stop. It echoed for a moment longer, and a voice of unspeakable magnitude spoke:

 

**“Dare ga kono gisei o nigiru no o aete suru nodesu ka?!”**

(Who dares to take advantage of this sacrifice?!)

 

The king of skeletons flinched to the new voice. It spoke in a deep and almost bass-like manner. He replied:

 

**“Watashi wa shimasu! Idaina Shigadesu! Anatahadare?”**

(I will do it! It is the great Shigeru! Who are you?)

 

And the voice boomed:

 

**“Watashi wa kiiro no doragondesu! Soshite korera no hitobito wa watashi no hogo no shita ni ari, anata no monode wa arimasen!”**

(I am the Yellow Dragon! And these people are under my protection, and are not yours!)

 

Ross couldn’t place who that was, until he heard a small ‘psst’ voice from below the pedestal. Thank god, it was Barry and Arin, bent down to the floor and sneakingly motioning him to follow. 

 

**“Ierōdoragon? Ha! Mienaiteki no orokana namae.”**

(Yellow Dragon? Ha! A stupid name for an invisible enemy.)

 

Ross nodded, nudging Penguin to go with them as they moved.

 

**“Watashi wa sora ga kurayami no naka ni hairu no to onajidesu. Watashi wa kawa no yō ni shizukadesuga, watashi ga okoru to, watashi wa taki no yō ni isoide imasu. Anata wa watashi o miru koto wa dekimasenga, watashi no sonzai wa tsuneni soko ni arimasu.”**

(I am the same as the sky going into the dark. I am quiet like a river, but when I get angry, I am in a rush like a waterfall. You can not see me, but my presence is always there.)

 

Shigeru let out a thunderous laugh. Penguin slipped from under the pedestal.

 

**“Fain, ierōdoragon. Anata wa watashi no kyōmi o nozoite imasu. Anata ni okora retara dō shimasu ka?”**

(Fine, Yellow Dragon. You are peeking at my interest. What will you do if you get angry?)

 

The ‘Yellow Dragon’ was silent for a moment, before Ross made it beneath the pedestal. He spoke clear and calmly:

 

**“Shinpuru....Watashi wa anata no teikyō o shōmetsu sa seru koto ga dekimasu.”**

(Simple...I can cause your offering to disappear.)

 

The skeleton king looked down, realizing his two feasts were gone, and let out a roar of anger that shook the very ground beneath his people. He began to pull his whole body from the temple, revealing a nearly ten story skeleton rising above the floor. 

Ross and Penguin with Barry and Arin, snuck their way out as quickly as possible. Barry pointed to a large podium out of view, and with a closer look, was Brian speaking through a crude horn.

 

Ross couldn’t tell but Brian was probably smirking when he finished:

**“Ī yoru o sugoshite kudasai.”**

(Please have a nice night.)

 

The group began to sneak for the woods, only rustling some leaves as they moved. The king of skeletons began to step upon the dirt; earthquake-like shaking vibrated through the jungle.

“Faster, men!” Arin gasped quietly, leading the way towards the ship. Barry followed close behind him, as Penguin pulled up his golden cloth to cover his midriff. 

“Shit shit shit…” Penguin mumbled, accidentally showing a nip of skin to Ross who was beside him. There were slashes, not fresh, but very deep and scarred into his chest.

 

Best not to ask.

 

Shigeru let out a monstrous roar, while his skeleton men followed behind in a mad rush with weapons in their boney hands. 

“Where’s Brian?” Ross questioned. Just as he said that, the assassin appeared next to him and nearly gave him a heart attack.

“Ah...fuck you man, come on!” Ross muttered angrily.

“Enough, we’re almost there…” Brian grumbled from under his mask.

“Get the ship ready, we leave the second we’re done.” Arin ordered softly. 

 

~~~~

 

Dan was staring at a wall, mumbling the same japanese phrase for hours. Ever since he sensed the skeletons near, he fell into a repeating cycle of what could have been a warning. 

Jack volunteered to stay with him, and kept his cool while trying to snap him out of his hypnosis. 

“Dan…? Please man, try and talk to me...who’s Kappa? What are you saying..”

Dan looked his way and nervously flinched. But he didn’t speak anymore. Jack bit his lip, he had to think of something to calm him.

“Okay um...wanna hear a rhyme? It’s a little rhyme I heard once. I don’t remember who told me it, but it might make you relax, alright?” Jack said calmly.

 

Dan watched him with big eyes, while Jack cleared his throat “Now what were the words? Um, okay, so-

_ Tell thy children the tale of one, _

_ Thou shalt not ever forget. _

_ A saddened story of this young son, _

_ Name spit with wishful regret. _

 

_ His birth be one to turn the tide, _

_ Never the day shall be told, _

_ Upon the bed of the sanded shore, _

_ His look doth frighten us cold. _

 

_ Raised in our world he doth know, _

_ Who he taketh to be, _

_ To us, thou shalt remember him as-” _

 

Dan suddenly mumbled “the walker of the land and sea…”

Jack’s eyes widened “Yeah...h-how…?”

 

Dan muttered in a daze:

“ _ Slither and sickly we forbid, _

_ This misfit of our race, _

_ To beeth one of the kind, _

_ And banish from this place. _

 

_ He disappeared beneath the blue, _

_ And never shalt be seen, _

_ The banished beast he is, _

_ And forever he shall be.”  _

 

Jack looked both amazed and horrified as he gripped Dan’s hand “Dan…”

Suddenly Dan’s eyes turned a shade of grey and he leaned forward in pain. Jack could only grip him harder and put a hand to his shoulder and cry out in confusion and fear “Dan?! W-What’s wrong?!”


	55. クイックエスケープ

Just as Jack was about to shake Dan out of his pain-filled daze, the sounds of people running onto the deck upstairs snapped him out of his goal. He looked up, hearing Arin yelling from atop.

“Shit…” he mumbled, looking back to Danny. The guy was calming down but his hands were still covering his face in anguish.

Jack held onto his shoulders as lightly as he could and swallowed “Dan, can you stand? We have to go up. Are you okay?”

Dan gasped then nodded faintly. That was good enough for Jack as he helped the man stand slowly.

“Come on...let’s go…”

Dan muttered under his breath in a worried voice “He sees me...he can’t stop...he never will…”

“...What?”

Dan looked up, his eyes turning back to blue and green. “....Ow...my head…”

Jack glared at him like he’d seen a shark jumping out of the water to shoot someone in the balls with a pistol.

Suddenly a stomping from upstairs interrupted that mental image as Arin muffly yelled from the deck “JACK WE NEED YOUR ASS UP HERE!!”

 

~~~~

 

“Secure the riggins! Stand fast, men!” Arin commanded on deck; everyone scattered and quickly began preparing the ship to sail like a wild colony of ants.

Ross darted up the deck, suddenly skitting to a stop upon seeing the beach. The skeleton king rose above the trees, roaring in anger **“Anata wa watashi o azamuku koto ga dekiru to omoimasu ka? Watashi wa minasan o tabemasu!”**

**(Do you think you can deceive me? I will eat you!)**

“ARIN, I THINK WE SHOULD LEAVE NOW!” Ross yelled fearfully.

The captain suddenly pulled out his sword, going down to the deck.

Brian growled “Even if we get moving, they’ll catch up!”

“We need something to distract them!” Ross guessed.

Arin scanned the deck, trying to think of something fast. He only saw the finished ship ready to go, and the ocean waves moving the cannons back and forth….wait…

“...READY THE CANNONS! We take a few hits on the beach, enough to slow them down as we pull out. That way, they can’t fight back.” Arin commanded.

The men nodded, splitting up and pulling the cannons out to aim for the ocean. Jack and Dan finally reached the top, as Jack advised Dan to stay there until he got back. With that, Jack ran over to the men to help.

Dan gripped the railings, watching as he turned to the beach. The skeletons...he remembered them. From somewhere in the corners of his mind. His eyes very faintly glowed blue and green as he headed for the edge of the ship’s railing to scan the incoming fleet. He suddenly began to climb atop the railing to balance.

“Dan? What are you doing, you’re gonna get hurt!” Arin gasped, running to his side and gently gripping his arm.

“...I can’t let this happen…” Dan muttered.

“Dan, get down!”

“FIRING CANNON ONE!”

“ **DAN!** ”

Just as the first cannonball was shot, Dan sucked in a lungful of air, and let out a scream towards the beach. It was his siren scream, only coming from human vocal chords. Even then, it’s power remained, and made the skeletons stop along the beach, making them easy targets for the cannonball to slam on top of them to smash them into pieces.

The men began to shoot off the rest of the cannons, all while Arin watched in terrified nervousness at Dan’s sudden burst of courage.

Cannonballs flew at incredible speeds, crashing onto the beach while bones became nothing but dust.

The skeleton king angrily grabbed trees from their roots and tossed them onto the boat, making everyone duck. The palm trees smashed into the deck, making huge holes that broke into the floors below.

“Fuck! We need to go or else this whole ship is going to fall apart underneath us!” Barry yelled.

Penguin suddenly ran to a cannon, positioning it towards the king and lit the fuse.

“Penguin, what are you doing?!” Ross called.

“I’m hitting them right at the source…” Penguin replied calmly.

The ball shot from inside with crazy speed, and flew across the sky towards the skeleton like a bullet.

It hit the king right in the center of its skull, making it go right through the bone and out the other side. It made it rive in pain, as he fall backwards to smash onto the jungle below.

**“Anata osoroshī kemono!”**

**(You horrible beast!)**

“Yeah well, FUCK YOU TOO!” Penguin hollered, sticking up a middle finger as he laughed like a winner.

“Get to your stations, go go go!” Arin yelled, while everyone scattered. Arin gently took Dan down from the railing.

“Dan, you can’t just-” Arin stopped, seeing Dan’s gaze not breaking. His eyes still glowed blue and green.

“...Dan?”

Suddenly Dan gripped his shoulders. Arin tensed as Dan spoke in a hushed tone “Arin, you have to listen to me, you’re in danger, and he has me trapped. He has both of us trapped, and we need to-”

He stopped, and his eyes shifted to the grey from before, making him sink to the floor.

“Danny!” Arin gasped, bending down to catch him before he fell. He was limp in his arms.

“Brian, take over! Get us out of here!”

“Got it!” Brian yelled back.

Arin held onto Dan, not daring to let go. The boat shifted and with the waves pounding the ship’s side, they made it out of the dock, and into the ocean. The crew looked back at the shores of Odokuro; bones and limbs were scattered along the sands, unable to reassemble themselves again after being blown to bits. The Skeleton King rose from the floor, brandishing a new hole on his skull as he bitterly watched the ship sail off. He yelled once more to his lost prize:

**“Kemono, anata wa watashi o nogaremashita. Shikashi, anata ga daredearu ka o kaeru koto wanai koto o wasurenaide kudasai. Sore wa anata no jinsei no nokori no bubun de anata ni tsudzukudeshou. Hiretsuna dorobō!”**

**(Beast, you escaped me. But do not forget that you will not change who you are. It will follow you for the rest of your life. Sneaky thief!)**

Ross turned to Penguin, who was stiff upon hearing that final call. He could have sworn he saw mist in the boy’s eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH SHIZ THE SKELETON CHAPTERS ARE FINISHED! But now comes the big question, wtf is going on with Penguin and Dan XD
> 
> クイックエスケープ (meaning Quick Escape)
> 
> Music of choice for this chapter: The Little Mermaid OST: Eric to the Rescue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhKCxNRZO7c


	56. Where Are You Tonight?

Dan was alone, walking aimlessly through the misty never-ending space in his mind looking for something. Just SOMETHING to be any source of comfort or even of remembrance. His brain ached with every step; he willed himself to stand and keep going, but even then an unknown force felt like it was tying him down to the floor.

Then, a small tingle went up his spine. He was not alone.

He raised his head up and looked around, seeing just the mist surrounding him. 

_ “Hey!” _

Dan tensed, and called back “...Hello?”

_ “Hey! Are you there?!” _

“W...I'm here? Who are you?!”

Once he asked, a single movement in the fog shook him to take a step back. He faintly saw a hand for a split second before it disappeared.

“Who are you?!” He called again. No answer.

“I'm...I'm not gonna ask again!”

The body within the mist moved again, coming from his left.

_ “I can't see?! I-I can't see where I'm going or anything!” _

Dan gulped “W-Why can't you see?”

_ “He took my sight! That son of a bitch, he made me go blind…”  _

He?

_ “Please, help me, I don't know where I'm supposed to go!” _

“Are...you sure you can’t see?”

_ “Yes! I’m just...going in circles? Or am I going in lines…?” _

“Um...try to follow my voice…” Dan said weakly.

_ “Y...You sure? You're not some sort of illusion, right? I've felt too many of those lately…” _

“I-I promise.”

The voice began to breath rapidly, before a form finally came out of the fog and into Dan's view. At first glance, Dan was scared.

“Y-You're a-?!”

Mark nodded  _ “Yeah I am…a ghost.” _

Dan was slow to approach him. Indeed, he looked to be a full apparition, with tattered captain's clothes adorning his see-through body. The dead man looked pale and unshaven, and his expression was one of worry and lose. Dan looked at his eyes; the ghost’s vision was darkened, it was unnaturally grey and his pupils were missing. 

“W...What happened to you?”

Mark sighed  _ “If I were to explain it all, you wouldn't believe me…” _

“I could try…”

_ “Heh…” _

“What?”

_ “You sound like my friend is all.” _

Dan looked at the ghost carefully. Something about him gave off a hint of familiarity.

“Y...You remind me of someone…”

_ “I should. Arin's always saying something about me.”  _

“Arin…” Dan blinked. He knew that name...didn't he?

_ “And, are you someone I know too? What's your name?” _

“Dan.” At least he THOUGHT that was his name.

Mark's eyes widened  _ “You're him, the siren.” _

“The what?”

_ “W-We never actually met. But I know you, from when I was on the ship. I'm Mark, the original captain of the D-Cruiser.”  _ Mark cracked a faint smile and extended his hand out. Which wasn't anywhere near Danny.

Dan remembered those names, but they were so distant, it was hard to place where. He turned Mark's hand towards his direction and shook it, surprised a ghost's hand could even BE touched.

“It's nice to...actually meet you.” he muttered.

Mark let out a small half-hearted laugh  _ “If I could SEE, I'd say it’s nice to see you again.” _

“Why are you here?”

_ “That sick fuck, the sea spirit. He thought I'd get in the way of his plans. Said something about his ‘game' and that I was meddling in it. So he snatched me in the night, I challenged him, and as a loss, he took my sight.” _

“That's horrible…”

_ “When I get my hands on him, something worse will be what he gets…” _

“He seems like a bad guy.”

_ “You don’t know the half of it, Dan.” _

Dan felt a tingle up his spine. He asked “Is he the scary voice I hear sometimes? Especially in my dreams?”

Mark tilted his head and shrugged  _ “Maybe...I mean, what did he take from you?” _

“I...I don't know. I can't remember.”

Mark let that sink in before coming to a conclusion:

_ “That's probably it.” _

“It?"

_ “You would have known me the second you saw me. He's got you too, just in a different way than me.” _

Dan blinked at him in confusion “He?”

Mark looked in Dan's direction and frowned  _ “It's worse than I thought.” _

Dan stiffened as Mark placed a hand on his shoulder  _ “Dan...do you remember anything? Anything before this whole dreamscape?” _

Dan closed his eyes, trying to retrace his steps, trying to remember even the smallest thing. All that popped into his mind was a laugh, the fog around him, and pain.

“I'm sorry. I...I can't. I wish I knew anything. I wish I knew who you were…”

Mark bit his lip  _ “We need to find a way out. We need Arin, and the guys.”  _

Guys?

_ “Maybe some kind of spell, or some kinda power source...something that could break this…”  _ Mark began to mumble in thought.

Dan looked confused but nodded anyway.

_ “Dan?” _

The man blinked “Y-Yes?”

_ “You need to remember. Remember who you were before. This, is all a prison in your own mind. You need to get us out by jogging your memories.” _

“H...What memories?”

_ “The ones buried in you, that Cry wants gone.” _

“Cry…”

Dan's eyes shifted from grey to green and blue then back to grey. He winced faintly.

_ “Is it working?” _

“I...I don't know…”

That felt...strange. But in his moment of clarity, he felt something...whole.

“...Um...t-try again…”

_ “Oh okay...A-Arin, uh...he saved you. He dove into the ocean for you. And took you in while you were healing. He told me you and him started off rocky, but ended up alright.” _

Dan's eyes flashed again.

_ “He was so afraid to say anything that night. He felt responsible for you. He cared about you enough to help you.” _

Dan's eyes grew and the shifting back and forth of color was exhilarating. 

_ “You were scared of him at first, but you saw he was good and kind. You weren't afraid of him and you knew he was someone you wanted to be with.” _

Dan fell to his knees, gripping his head.

_ “You are a siren. He's a human. You thought it would be two worlds separated forever. But you beat the odds.” _

Dan gasped under his breath.

_ “You have to remember who you were. You don't want to be a prisoner here. You want to be with your friends, your family...Arin.” _

Dan's mind raced, the added memories filling his head at lightning speed. Phrases, messages, moments, all combined back into his brain.

_ “Don't give up Dan…” _

**“Do you mind if, I sit closer to you?”**

 

**_"I'm the wind. The dark deep depths of the coves. I'm all around you. Yet you cannot see me. I'M ALWAYS HERE."_ **

 

**“He was killed...by THAT BASTARD!”**

 

**“Dan!!”**

 

**“You're my little brother. My little fish.”**

 

**“Kappa, karera no ōsama ni chūi shite kudasai…”**

 

**“You can't give up…”**

 

**"Things...will work out. And...you must never give up...on yourself or anything...the course...of true love...never did run smooth..."**

 

**“Dan, please, listen to me!”**

 

“A-Arin!” Dan's eyes glowed completely green and blue and shouted at the top of his lungs:

**“ARIN!!”**

His vision changed.

He was seeing from...himself?

He was on the boat, feeling the deck beneath his feet. Cannons were being set into position by strangers with familiar faces towards a fleet outstretched on a beach. 

The skeletons…

In his skull, whispered the warning from many years ago...

They were outnumbered, and a massive skeleton towered above them. He had to stop it somehow. 

He could feel his body tingle, and within moments, he could control his body and slowly walk along the deck.

Climbing aboard the railing and hearing Arin's pleas to get down, he willed himself to say “I can't let this happen.” and unleashed his repressed siren scream.

 

Back in the dreamscape, Mark could only hear his cries.

_ “What's happening?! Are you okay?”  _ Mark asked frantically.

Dan was still controlling himself: his eyes glowing bright. If he could just-

**_“What's this?”_ **

 

Dan felt all his bodily movements halt, his eyes returned to their grey state and he cried out.

Mark tried to stand defensively in front of the crouched man  _ “Don't come anywhere near us.” _

**_“The blind ghost and the amnesiac working together. How quaint.”_ **

Cry’s form took shape before them, and his evil grin stretched out across his face. 

**_“You think you'll be able to call for help? Who would listen to a nearly brain-dead once-siren?”_ **

Dan's body shook and his hands were hugging his sides.

_ “You have nothing to prove doing this.” _

**_“Just one thing. That I'm not to be messed with. That's a lesson your men should have learned before.”_ **

_ “I swear to God, I'll rip you apart…” _

**_“With what, your mighty ghost powers? I'll definitely feel the pain that way, won't I?”_ **

Dan yelled out “You can't do this!” 

He willed himself to snap back into reality, he could see Arin in front of him. 

He gripped his shoulders like all the world would stop.

“Arin, you have to listen to me, you’re in danger, and he has me trapped. He has both of us trapped, and we need to-”

Cry slapped Mark out of the way, sending him onto the floor, and grabbed Dan by the neck. 

 

\---

 

Dan awoke in a bed, as Arin, Jack and Barry looked him over with worry written all over their faces.

“W...What happened?”

“Dan, thank god…” Arin breathed out, his cheeks pale and flushed.

“Are you alright? You went all, super powered on us, and then passed out.” Barry frowned.

Dan couldn’t remember a thing. “I- did?”

Arin notice Jack stand up and pace the room carefully, twiddling his thumbs in anxiety.

“You basically saved us, so that’s good.” Barry tried.

“Uh...y-your welcome…” Dan muttered. Arin watched Dan’s eyes; they weren’t as lively as he remembered them being, they were almost dulled.

“We’ve been out on the ocean for a little while. But we’ll be FAR from that place soon.” Barry added.

Jack mumbled “Yeah…good…”

Dan laid back on the bed as Barry tended to him. Arin then stood, going up to the pacing Jack and raise an eyebrow. 

“So…”

“So are we going to address the elephant in the room?” Jack questioned.

Arin furrowed his brows “What elephant?”

“Arin, your fricken siren friend, who’s not a siren anymore, doesn’t know he’s a siren. Or WAS one. Have you not noticed that? Whenever we mention that night to him or what he did before Cry fucked him over, he doesn’t know shit! Barry knows. Barry, tell him.” 

Barry lifted his head towards Arin and got up.

“Yeah...I was going to explain that…” Barry mumbled.

Arin glanced at Dan, who was lying back on the bed trying to relax. He looked like he was strained from a battle with his own brain.

“Let’s take this outside for a second.” Arin suggested. They all left the room and closed the door behind them, leaving Dan to soak in whatever was happening in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I don't seem to know you...no I'm not alright...where are you tonight?"
> 
> (guess the song the title is based on)


	57. Ross on the Rocks

“Ow!” 

 

“Just hold still, dammit.” Ross mumbled in annoyance.

 

“How would I hold still if you’re hurting me?” The Penguin griped, rubbing the tender spot on his wrist that Ross was currently mending.

 

“Fine then YOU do it.” Ross then tossed the cloth over to the complaining boy, who in turn  flipped him off. Ross rolled his eyes, grunting with malcontent.

 

“Fucking skeletons, fucking things up with their fucking skinny little fingers, and fucking thin ass bones punching people in the fucking jaws, and then don’t get me started on those fucking tiny ass knives they carry around, like fuck!” Penguin went on, messing with one of the uncovered cuts on his arm. Once he poked at it, it started to bleed.

 

Ross covered his mouth “OH GOD I-”

 

Penguin shot him a look “What, you haven’t seen someone get stabbed before? I thought you were some big bad pirate.”

 

“I stabbed a guy in the leg.” 

 

“Yeah, A guy. One. Uno. Un.”

 

“Oh wow. Can you say ‘shut the fuck up’ in French too?” Ross frowned. 

 

“Ferme ta gueule.” Penguin spat, his nose held high.

 

“Alright you know wha-”

 

“HOW ABOUT YOU BOTH SHUT THE FUCK UP?” Brian shouted in anger. He was currently laying in a hammock which had been attached to a pair of hooks in the ship’s wall. A makeshift resting place for the uninvited ‘guest’ who came along after they set sail from the skeleton island. 

 

The assassin glared at the two as they immediately stopped speaking. He let out a long and tense breath “You’re both giving me a headache.”

 

“Maybe if he hadn’t have dropped his sword before ‘rescuing’ me, we wouldn’t be so cut up. Who even leaves a sword at an open door?! OF A FUCKING CAGE!” 

 

“I didn’t think about that!”

 

“Clearly! Thinking isn’t your strongest suit, is it Ross?” 

 

“Listen you little shit-”

 

“ENOUGH.” Brian snapped, jamming a knife into the wall.The two went silent again.

 

“If you idiots won’t stop, I’ll make you stop.” Brian stated.

 

“Oh what, you’ll scalp me or something?” 

 

“Yeah.” 

 

“Pfft…been through worse, mate.” 

 

“Really? So, you’ve been tied to a post and lashed for hours on end till your skin would sizzle in the sun as the blood from your back would drip down to the floor-”

 

“OKAY BRIAN WHOA.” Ross stopped him. Penguin kept his beak shut, staring down at his feet.

 

“Pain is a relative term.” He mumbled.

 

Brian got up from the hammock, and pulled off the mask concealing his face. The Penguin leaned back and could see the small cuts and scars aligning his jaw and under his bright blue eyes, and one large line cutting across his lips down to his chin. This assassin wasn’t messing around.

 

“So’s battle scars.” Brian mumbled. He then covered his face again and walked out of the room, not before telling Ross “Punch him if he escapes.”

 

Ross saluted sarcastically “Aye aye...cap-i-tan.” 

 

Once Brian left, the Penguin scoffed lowly, pulling up on the golden cloth he still had wrapped around his body. Tediously slipping down, he kept pulling it back up to cover his chest.

 

“Why are you still wearing that shit?” Ross tilted his head. 

 

“If you hadn’t have noticed, GENIUS, these are my only clothes.” 

 

“You know, you don’t exactly have to wear that, I mean...my old clothes would probably fit you.” Ross said.

 

The Penguin shook his head “What, you wanna play dress up with me now? After calling me a little shit?” 

 

“Hey it’s either you put on something, or you’re stuck pulling up your dress all the time.” 

 

The Penguin groaned, and Ross took it upon himself to pull out a truck from the corner of the room. He motioned the boy to come over as Penguin reluctantly stood up and walked to the chest.

 

“Oh lovely…” 

 

“Shut up, this isn’t so bad.”

 

“No, not weird at all. Two grown men, exchanging clothes, being all palsy-walsy and stuff. Totally not weird.” 

 

“Just take something.”

 

The Penguin scoffed again, pulling out a pair of brown pants and white stockings. Ross grabbed a vest lined in gold and silver thread, and a light red shirt to match. The Penguin look at his selections with a confused face.

 

Ross noticed this “...What?”

 

“Really?...That shirt with these pants? What, you think I’m some prima dona?” 

 

“Jesus Christ…”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“I’m telling you, Arin. He’s being used! He’s clearly not himself anymore!” Jack stated, gripping Arin’s arm tightly. Arin could feel Jack’s body just slightly tremble. They huddled together in the hallway just outside of Dan’s room, conversing in hushed tones and worried whispers. 

 

“He’s been distant, he’s been looking off into space, he can’t even remember things that just happened a few months ago…” Barry explained, crossing his arms.

 

“Dude, he fucking started CHANTING to me...Like...he was just, mumbling something in a completely different language and then just snapped…” Jack muttered. 

 

Arin looked at Jack cryptically “And you’re SURE he’s been doing this?”

 

“Yes, Arin! I’ve been trying to tell you this shit for a while, but either we have some other fucking thing happening or you go off into your den of sadness or some shit.” Jack pointed out.

 

“But what do we do about it? Cry’s nowhere near us, and it’s not like we can look for him… He could be anywhere!”

 

“Arin, you gotta do something.” Barry frowned deeply. 

 

“I know! And I know I caused this, but… I don’t know how to fix this...” 

 

~~~~~~~

 

The Penguin  finally found something suitable in the piles of Ross’ hand-me-downs; black trousers, a faded red shirt, and a cut jacket with jewels sewn along the bottom. 

 

“Nice…” Penguin muttered.

 

“Okay great, you look like a person now.” Ross rolled his eyes. Penguin rubbed his arm.

 

“Y-yeah… a person…”

Ross blinked at the comment “Uh...are you okay?”

 

“Wha- y-yes, I am...of course…” 

 

The Penguin went to look over the gold jewelry he had from his offering attire, having his back turned to Ross as he gazed at the shining rubies and sapphires.

 

Ross, confused, took a step closer to him before Penguin said out of nowhere “No...I’m not.” 

 

“...Why?”

 

Penguin let out a sigh “You don’t know, what it’s been like, to be...me. I’ve been around the world almost all my life, never settling anywhere or being with anyone very long before I’m gone with the next wave. I’m an outcast, always have been. And this...this all feels...so weird to me.” 

 

“What does?”

 

“This, Ross. Just...talking to someone. Just...being in one place for once. I’ve never had that for too long.” 

 

Ross blinked and went over to Penguin’s side. He looked at the jewels resting on the desk, and picked one up, turning it over on his hand. 

 

“You know....we both wouldn’t be here if Brian hadn’t have tricked that skeleton guy...he was pretty cool being all ‘I’m the Yellow Dragon and imma fuck shit up’.”

 

He heard Penguin chuckle lowly.

 

“Yeah like, ‘ooo look at me, I’m all mysterious and shit, and Imma make you my bitch bruh’ .” Penguin added.

 

Ross giggled “That was pretty awesome.”

 

“Also you smashed a skeleton like a badass on the beach. Forgot to mention that to you.” Penguin added, rubbing his arm.

 

“Thanks…you weren’t so bad yourself, bartender.”

 

“Hey that’s only a day job. I’m a certified freelance do-nothing on the side…” Penguin quipped.

 

The two chuckled at the joke and continued to talk a bit more.

 

~~~~~~~

 

Jack rubbed his face as he paced back and forth. Arin leaned up against the wall and let out a sigh. 

 

Barry spoke up “We need to, like...figure out a way to get him back to normal. A potion, a spell, a witch, something! He can’t be this way forever, something is wrong and he knows it.”

 

“He’s probably warning us. Cry’s got him, and he’s trying his damndest to let us know where he is or what’s happening but he can’t.” Jack started, the tips of his ears getting red with anger.

 

Arin combed his hair with his fingers “He’s probably so scared...and alone…”

 

“We gotta do something, guys.” Barry finished.

 

~~~~~~~

 

Penguin could hear something from the other side of the door, like muffled arguing outside. He went over to the wooden entryway and leaned his ear in to listen.

 

Once he caught wind of the conversation, he opened the door.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

“We gotta do something, guys.”

 

“Um, I know what you can do…” 

 

The three stopped, turning to the boy stepping out from the room across the hall. Ross curiously followed behind him.

 

Arin frowned at him “And that’d be…?”

 

Penguin huffed “You’re looking for the sea spirit, right? Well, sea spirits reside in coves. That’s where they usually stay and created in. You’ll have to find his to find him.”

 

“You know where that is?” Jack questioned.

 

“No...but I know who might.”

 

The three crewmen came closer as the Penguin elaborated. His ears twitched ever so slightly.

 

“There’s a small outpost near the edge of a cliff, you’ll need to get past the forest, Gor-doon Forest, to get there. A guy named Ramsay will probably tell you where the cove is, because it’s hidden away in one of the beach caves.”  


 

“Where’s this cliff?” Barry asked.

 

“If we just left the island, it’s southeast from here. Continue Peak, that’s the cliff name.” 

 

“Okay well...thanks for the info. You’re still not off the hook yet, boy.” Arin said flatly.

 

“What, I can’t be of any help without coming off as a deceiver?” Penguin quipped.

 

Jack and Barry exchanged looks as they talked to each other softly.

 

“Ross, are you...babysitting him?” Arin raised an eyebrow, while Ross’ mouth dropped “What?! No? I’m not fucking-”

 

“Well he’s wearing YOUR clothes.” Arin said, smirking.

 

Ross and Penguin’s faces turned red. “I’m not babysitting him, I just gave him some old musty clothes to use!”

 

“Yeah… Plus Ross isn’t really my type.”  

 

“You shut the hell up, kid.” Ross grumbled.

 

“Just sayin’”

 

“Look whatever he is to you, just fricken go do something while I talk this out with the rest of the crew. Then we’ll have a talk with you.” Arin didn’t break eye contact with Penguin at all until he walked past him towards his quarters. Meanwhile Jack and Barry finished their talk and jogged towards the captain “Arin! We got an idea.” 

 

Arin turned to them as Barry swallowed “We talked it over...and we think, we need to go to this peak to find Cry and fix this.”

 

“I mean we were already planning that-”

  
“No Arin, not we. We mean.… _ we _ .…” Barry motioned to him and Jack only.


	58. The Sirens are Coming

All of the crew were attentive, watching the boy sitting on the stool as he fidgeted from so many eyes on him. They huddled in the kitchen, while the gentle rain fell outside and hit the top deck with light pitter-pattering. Arin stood still, arms crossed, and facing the boy with a look of pensiveness. 

Arin cleared his throat “So…”

The Penguin raised a curious eyebrow “So?”

“Explain. Why were you on that island with us? What did those skeletons want from you?”

“...I, stole something from those bastards...years ago. It was a sacred altarpiece for their gods that I stupidly took from them. Sold it off, and then lost track of it…So I didn’t plan on going back to them to avoid getting caught. But I did…”

“And you said to Ross that you needed to talk to Dan...why?”

The Penguin glanced away, his mouth closed.

“Listen kid, if you want to help us, we need you to give us your share of the deal. We save your skin, and you save ours.” Ross stated.

The Penguin frowned “What you guys wanna know, isn’t going to help you. It’ll make things worse.”

“Depends on what you say…” Brian threatened softly.

He heaved “This information isn’t for you. It’s for him. It could mean the end of-...”

“....the end of what?” Dan blinked.

“....Siren kind as we know it.” Penguin finished with defeat.

The men exchanged looks, however the receiver of this news...looked confused.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Arin questioned.

“...I’ve traveled a very long way to tell Dan this news. It was told from a messenger halfway across the ocean to the general of the Western seas. There’s...there’s a WAR coming...for you. All of you.”

Arin’s eyes widened and mutters of fear went through everyone.

“I don’t do this sort of thing...never have. But this means something bigger than myself, and it affects me as much as any siren out there. If they go after you, there will be consequences on all of you. Not from the sirens themselves, but their queens, and generals, and the sea spirits. They can’t fight you by law, of the ocean AND their kind. You will be outnumbered, and needless death will be upon all of them and yourselves if you don’t try and commune with them.”

“W-Why would they be after us?” Dan asked “We didn’t do anything wrong…”

The Penguin quickly stood up from the stool and looked Dan in the eyes “You. You’re what’s wrong.”

Arin put a defensive hand in front of Dan “Watch what you say to him, boy.”

“I’m saying the truth. I will NOT.”

“Truth, what truth?”

“You all seem to think because he’s a human, that means he’s free of who he is. Or was. You say you don’t know why they're after you; but it’s your flesh and blood who are after you, Daniel! Your kind, your brethren, who you came from.”

Dan’s eyes squinted, he tried to remember something lost to him “M-My kind?...I-I don’t-”

Penguin moved Arin’s hand and grabbed Dan by the shoulders “YOUR SISTER, idiot! The queen of us all, Suzy the queen of the Eastern Oceans, she’s coming here because of you!”

“She-?”

“She’s coming to rescue you, but to us, you and I both know rescue has a different meaning than what most think. You need to be a siren again, you need to leave, you’re gonna doom us all!”

Dan frowned “I-...I don’t understand...I don’t have a sister! I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about…”

Penguin blinked “Y-Yes, you do! You’re the brother of the queen! Y-You gotta know this, why can’t you remember!?” 

“Penguin, that’s enough.” Ross tried.

The boy shoved him back “No, he can’t be like this- why is he like this!?”

“He can’t remember because he has a spell on him!” Arin yelled out loud. 

Penguin grunted and let go of Dan’s shoulders. He turned to Arin in anger “Then-then you need to talk FOR him. Those sirens are gonna kill you and bring a storm of ruin with them and everyone else.”

“Why do you care so much? You’re a human, this shouldn’t concern you at all!” Jack frowned.

Penguin tensed “It does. It concerns me more than any of you know.”

“Then tell us why. If this is SO important to you.” Jack crossed his arms.

Ross looked back at Jack and Arin “Guys, maybe we should give him some time…”

“Ross we’re not doing that. We deserve to hear what his reasons are, and prolonging this is fucking stupid.” Jack retorted.

Penguin looked uneasy and red in the face.

Brian tapped his foot “This is useless. This little shit won’t tell us anything.” 

“Then I say, we fucking go to that Continue Peak and take out Cry ourselves. If we take him out, the sirens will back off because Dan will be back to his old self.” 

“How do you know that that’ll fix the problem?” Arin frowned. Penguin muttered to himself “It won’t.”

“Think about it, the sirens want SIREN DAN. Not this Dan.”

Dan’s eyebrows knotted “‘This Dan’? What are you guys saying, I’m here, I’m me! I’m not a siren, nor have I ever BEEN one!”

Barry huffed “Dan, you were once-”

“Well, why are you assuming I’m STILL that?! Sirens are...h-half fish and half human, that’s not me, I’m as human as any of you. And I wasn’t one of those, I would have known about it!"

“You don’t understand-”

“No I don’t! You’re talking as if I’m not me. Like I’m not even here!” Dan grew blue in anger.

“Look, if we fix him, if we get Cry and break the spell on Dan, then the sirens will realize that coming after us isn’t worth it because Dan’ll be fine and be back with them.” Jack stated.

Arin felt his heart ping for a second. Dan going back to the sirens? And...never coming back?

“T-That’s not…” He started before Jack continued “We go, me and Barry, find that Ramsey guy, and get Cry’s cove, get that son of a bitch, and free Dan. It’ll save everyone!” 

“Arin, we need your approval to go. Me and Jack know this is the right thing to do.” Barry finally spoke up, coming up to Jack and both of them looking at Arin. The captain bit his lip.

Dan looked around the room, still angrily blue “Arin...if whatever is happening is because of me, then, I’ll leave. I won’t be the cause and not the solution, if that’s what you think of me.”

Arin uncrossed his arms and went up to Dan, facing him “Don’t put this all on yourself, Dan. You know you’re not the cause, I am.” 

“Arin, don’t treat me like I’m stupid, please.” Dan shook his head.

“You’re not stupid!”

“No, I’m clearly the one who doesn’t understand anything. I’m useless in this equation.” Dan turned and left the room, closing the door behind him before Arin could stop him.

Penguin went to sit back on the stool, taking off his broken spectacles and messing with the end pieces.

After a few moments of silence, Arin went back to Penguin and put his hands to his hips “Until we figure out what to do with you, consider yourself a prisoner.”

Penguin frowned and stood up, looking up at the captain “You’re just gonna hold me here? After I told you sirens are coming to kick your asses?!”

“You still have things to explain to us. But since you seem to have something caught in your throat, you can save that for later. Brian, take him to the cells below the living quarters. Barry, Jack...you can take the rowboat out to the peak. Pack what you need and get going as soon as the sun’s up…Everyone’s dismissed…” Arin finished, and left the room as well.

Penguin looked baffled while Brian gripped him by the arm and lead him out of the room, while Ross watched with unseen sympathy. Poor kid, he thought to himself.


	59. False Hope

“Stop tugging me!” Penguin yelled, trying to loosen Brian’s tight grasp on his arm. The assassin lead the young prisoner down towards the bottom hull of the ship, where the semi-unkempt cells waited for a new visitor. 

Brian opened up one of the steel doors and shoved Penguin inside. The boy landed on his stomach and groaned on the floor.

“Now, no funny business. Understand? I’m going to come back within the hour. You’re under my watch for the night.” Brian stated in a dull voice.

The Penguin coughed “Goddamn, you can’t be serious.”

“Would you rather I toss you out into the ocean?”

“...Yes actually.”

Brian scoffed, closing the cell and locking it with a key that he stuck in his pocket. With a turn of the heel, he went out of the room and shut the door behind him, leaving Penguin alone again.

Once Brian was gone, Penguin got up and pulled on the bars. 

“Goddammit!! Come on, let me out! I’m NOT going to be stuck in this place!” He rattled the bars once more “These can’t hold me! I’m gonna break out of this shit, you hear me?!”

 

-3 hours later-

Penguin huffed, laying on his back and looking up at the ceiling. He had already given up around the second time Brian came down to give him a tough glare and left without a word. Right now, he only seemed focus on how this old ship rocked in the water, and how there was mold above him, and how he could hear everyone above acting stupid, and how a paper was being pushed through the floorboards, and how much it smelled, and-

His head perked up, spotting the ripped paper lying near the cell. Penguin glanced back and forth, seeing that no one else was in the room with him, and picked up the paper with slight uncertainty. It read:

“Is Brian in there with you?”

Penguin narrowed his eyes, taking one last glance around him before sighing. 

“The hardass isn’t down here” he grumbled, making sure to be loud enough that whoever was sent these could hear.

Suddenly the doorknob turned and Ross appeared, sighing in relief “Whew...Good. I thought he would be.”

“I think we’re both safe for about another 15 minutes” Penguin said before running his thumb over his nose with a sniff, “I’m already catching a cold down here, are you here to spring me from this prison?”

“No, but I did bring this stuff. Unless...you don’t WANT it. I mean, you didn’t exactly like my clothes before...” Ross smirked while he held something behind his back. Penguin raised an eyebrow before leaning over slightly try and grab a peek. However, Ross was quick to hide it again. 

“Hey! Don’t ruin it! At least say like...please or thank you or...something else gentlemanly” Ross scolded.

Penguin let out an annoyed sigh “ _ Please  _ let me see what you have behind you,  _ thank you _ .” He grunted at each polite word, like it hurt to say every syllable. Ross only answered with a shrug before holding out a fresh pair of clothing, and pushing it through the bars.

Penguin gently looked through the clothes, seeing a coat was tucked inside. He quickly slung it over his shoulders, and its fabric began to warm him from the cold. It really was a nice warm coat, but he couldn’t let Ross know that. 

“Wow,  _ so  _ good of you to think of me and my well being” Penguin said in a snarky voice. He tried to cross his arms to emphasize his statement, but soon found the coat arms were too puffy to do so.

“You’re welcome. And I’ll see about getting you something to eat before Barry and Jack leave.”

“You know, why don’t you say some really long and heartfelt goodbyes to those two” Penguin managed to just barely fold his arms behind his head in the coat, “They don’t have experience. They don’t know what’s out there. Without me, they’re practically on a suicide mission”

“Cry’s been holding onto Dan for too long. Just going up to an all-powerful sea spirit and being like ‘hey uh can you let our friend go’ isn’t something we can do at this point.” Ross frowned.

“So what are your friends planning to do instead exactly?” Penguin wondered.

“I guess they want to go find his cove, and see if they can bargain with him. If that guy has something to stop him, they'll use that. I don't know…”

Ross seemed to gaze off into his own worries, rather than concentrating on anything in the ship. Penguin never actually expected to break him, but seeing Ross this upset just seemed...wrong. 

“Did you ever wonder how Cry stole the siren prince? Or how he possesses such power to do so?” Penguin asked.

Ross blinked, taking a few steps towards the cell “...What do you mean, ‘how'?”

“How he has such abilities that someone with such a poisoned heart should not possess?” 

Ross furrowed his brow “What do you know that you didn't tell everyone, Penguin?” 

Penguin didn’t respond. 

“Penguin” Ross pushed, “What do you know?”

“...I know that Cry isn't as powerful as he says he is. That he's in fact, a weak spirit with connections to dark magic. THAT'S where his power comes from, not some shit about his godlike sea abilities; but from some witches and bayou temptresses who bargain for cheap trinkets” Penguin began. 

Ross came close to the bars, listening attentively.

"I know first hand what they can do. What his powers are capable of. And the thing keeping Dan locked away; the thing he has your siren friend in, is one able to lock a soul away in a prison; like a nightmare you can't wake up from.” 

"Can someone break it?"

"...I don't know."

Ross’s face went pale, before he suddenly clenched his fists, “Where are these witches anyway?” 

“Scattered everywhere, Ross. He goes to them in search of something, and they give it to him for a price. He's gotten around that way…” Penguin looked down at the floorboards.

“So that means...defeating him will be easy!” Ross smiles. 

“What?!” 

“If he got his powers from witches, he's a wimp without them! And if we-”

“Don’t you understand?!” Penguin swiftly stood, “He has the powers of witches on his side! A group of second rate pirates don’t stand a chance! There’s no way to fight him, only to pray he’ll make a deal with you” 

“Well, what about that guy you said has the answer? Gorden? Wouldn't HE be able to do something?” Ross questioned.

"No."

"Why not? You said he could!"

“Don’t you see Ross?! I thought you were smarter than the other idiots aboard this ship! It was a false lead! A lie! I was hoping to keep you all away from Cry by creating false hope!” Penguin screamed.

Ross’ jaw dropped, realization came flooding in. 

"Y...You...-"

Penguin's expression changed, and he looked immediately regretful "Wait, Ross- I didn't mean-"

Right as Ross turned to run upstairs, Arin’s yell came from the deck above:

“Hey Ross! Barry and Jack are leaving! Better say bye before they go!”

And Ross sprinted off without another word, screaming out Barry and Jack’s names over and over in hopes to catch them.

 

~~~

 

Arin gently patted Barry's shoulder and looked him in the eyes “You guys are gonna be careful, right? Don't do anything stupid...we want you both back in one piece.”

“Of course! We’ll be on our toes” Barry grinned before stepping into the slowly lowering life boat.

“And besides, I'll make sure he doesn't get into any trouble, ey Barry-boy?” Jack joked, lightly shoving Barry in the arm. The shove almost made Barry fall out of the boat into the ocean, but he regained his palace at the last second.

Arin smiled but noticed Ross still hadn't come up to the deck “What the fuck is taking Ross so long? You guys should be going before any waves get harsh…” He shook the thought as he nodded to the two "Take care, and get that asshole Cry for us."  


Jack gave one last thumbs up as he finally lowered the boat into the water, and the two sat, ready to row.

“If you see Ross, then just tell him we'll be okay. And we'll be back soon.” Barry shrugged. As if on cue, Ross burst above deck and frantically looked around for the two, only to find Arin looking off the side of the boat.

“Arin! Where are they?!” Ross yelled out. Arin turned around casually before moving his gaze back down to indicate.

Ross ran over to the end and cupped his hands over his mouth “GUYS, DON'T LEAVE, IT'S NOT SAFE!” 

“What?” Arin asks, placing his hands on his hips, “What do you mean it’s not safe?” 

“It's not safe because it's a ploy! There's no guy, no nothing! They're going into a trap!”

Arin’s eyes grew wide. By now, the tiny row boat was already drifting away. The captain cupped his hands around his face and screamed for them to return as loud as he could, but it seems he wasn’t louder than the salty waves carrying their friends farther and farther.

As the boat went out into the sea, a head poked up from the calm water to watch. Blinking their bright green eyes, they sunk back into the blue to tell the others, a flick of a tail peeked up as the siren dove down. 

Arin and Ross both shared a worried look before scanning the water again to see what would happen next. Only a minute ticked by before the siren reappeared. Then another. And another. And another. It seemed all at once, an entire grand army of sirens rose up from the depths and surrounded the ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohhhh fuck WE'RE BACK  
> happy 2018!
> 
> And a special thank you to my best friend Chloe ( @chloe_creep) for helping to write this chapter with me! She's so good u guys ;_;   
> LET'S KEEP ADVENTURING!


	60. A Siren Revolt

Many moons ago, a single message spread across the eastern ocean.

Told by an observant mermaid who, in her fear of what was to come, spoke to the Queen and relied what she saw. She told of the young prince taken, caught in the net of a pirate galleon and pulled in, never returning to the sea. She then went to her fellow sirens with the news she delivered, the knowledge still fresh in her mind.

She found them along the beach on a sunny evening, conversing amongst themselves in cheerful discussion. 

One had been in the middle of a story, expressing the tale with hand gestures and a determined grin on their face. This one was named Ash, called so by the phoenix colored tail and freckled scales in grey along their cheeks.

Once Ash had finished their tale, the second siren on their left, named Hannah, let out a hearty laugh in response. Hannah's glittering magenta tail flicked from the water with glee, and the scales along her neck and eyes matched the red on her cheeks from giggling so hard.

Finally the last siren of the group, the meek but very much lovely Kate, covered her mouth to conceal a chuckle as well. Her teal and green tail curled along the beach, a flood of goosebumps went up her spine, seeming to go along the trail of green scales up her arms and neck.

While engrossed in the tale Ash had told, the three sirens saw their missing companion swim over. 

Hailey flashed a faint smile, moving towards the shore and letting the waves carry her over. Her snow white tail shimmered in the sun, and her scales of soft pink seemed to go up her back like embroidered lace.

They beckoned her to come and talk with them. However her words were far from pleasant.

“Hi Hailey. We’ve been waiting for you.” Kate stated with a shy smile, her somewhat messy brown hair got in the way of her emerald green eyes as she lightly put some strands behind her ear.

“Yeah, Ash keeps telling me and Kate how they’ll fight off a hammerhead on a bet.” Hannah let out another laugh, her orange and red eyes twinkled as she flicked her curly brown locks over her shoulder in contemptuousness.

Ash pouted, their pink and green eyes shifted in color while they ruffled their short blonde hair “I said I COULD, never said I would, Hannah.”

“Yeah and you have yet to show you can.” Hannah retorted.

“As much as I’d love to hear more about Ash’s battle with certain death, we have a bigger problem at hand.” Hailey said in a serious tone.

The three sirens stopped and turned to her.

“So...have you heard?” Hailey began.

They exchanged looks, and Kate said in a somewhat nervous voice “Heard what?”

“The Queen’s brother...he’s been taken.”

The others suddenly clamored in concern and piled question upon question on her.

 

“What do you mean?”

“You can’t be serious?”

“Where did you see this?”

“How did it happen?”

 

“Hey, hey! Everyone shush!’ Hannah stopped them; she gently held Hailey’s shoulders and looked right at her “Hailey, are you absolutely sure? I mean, how can he be taken? He’s a siren. And one of our most powerful!”

Hailey nodded “I’m serious! He was stolen, right out the ocean! He was caught up in a fishing net.”

“And they didn’t throw him back or anything?”

“They did, but then someone jumped in and pulled him back up…” Hailey’s skin turned pale.

“W-Who would do something like that?” Kate asked.

“Is it what I think it is?” Ash suggested.

“Yes.”

The sirens leaned in as Hailey’s voice went somber

“Pirates. It was definitely pirates…”

Hannah scoffed “What? Ha! Like pirates could fight back a fighter like Dan! He’s a charmer, a fast healer- he’s much too powerful for them.”

“Right, Dan is some ‘indestructible super siren’ who can never be caught” Ash said sarcastically, complete with air quotes.

“He’s gotten away from plenty of ships before; he’s taken out captain apon captain, and never once has he been captured.” Hannah retorted.

“She’s right! He wouldn’t just let himself be trapped there. He’d have gotten out the second he was in a net.” Kate replied.

“Then, what if something’s keeping him there?” Ash pondered. The others turned to face them. Ash shrugged “I mean think about it, he’s been gone for how long?” Hailey mouthed for ‘two days’.

“Okay, two days. In that time, he’s not once made an attempt to flee that we know of, hasn’t contacted any of us-”

“Just because he hasn’t done it yet, doesn’t mean he won’t any time soon.” Hailey pointed out.

“What if he’s not actually stuck? And he’s not forced to stay?” Kate said gently.

“You mean, as a guest?”

“No, like...he’s staying there because he has to be there. For a reason. Like, a bond he can’t break.” Kate started, before Hannah shook her head.

“Please, he’s probably just biding his time until he can attack them back. It’s how he’s always been able to catch prey; it’s a game, a ruse, a diversion.”

“Sure, but if it were, then why hasn’t he escaped?” Hailey stated. “He’s good, but not good enough to bust out after two days?”

“The bigger question we seem to be ignoring, what of the Queen? Did you tell her, Hailey?” Kate asked. The siren nodded “I did. She’s preparing a group to go survey the ship till she comes up with a plan.”

“She’s asking anyone?”

“Yeah. She’s hellbent on getting him back. She’ll stop at nothing till she does.”

Kate nodded “I’m sure. I mean, if it were my brother, I’d do the same…”

“Well what are we sitting around for? If we wanna go help get Dan back, we should go with the scouts.” Ash suggested, balling their fist with a determined expression.

Kate frowned, rubbing her arm “Are you sure we should?”

“It could be really dangerous…” Hailey added.

“We’re sirens, you guys! Some little flimsy ship full of drunken idiots can’t take down us. Come on! We’ll show them.” Hannah proudly exclaimed, diving into the ocean with a flick of her tail. Ash grinned and dove in as well, followed by Hailey and Kate. The quartet swam fast and with the tides, ready to take their roles in the mission to save their prince.

~~~~

_“My Queen? I...would like to have an audience with you.”_

 

_“Yes, Hannah?”_

 

_“It’s….it’s been a very long time since we’ve done anything on this mission- we’re not judging you for your patience, but do tell, what is our next course of action?”_

 

_“We listen. We stay. We think on what we do next.”_

 

_“Your Highness, what if we rest too long? We’ll lose them and any hope for Dan being freed could be lost-”_

 

_“Hannah, our time is not yet here. If we stay put, a path will open for us. I will NOT make a rash decision, especially if the life of my brother and our sirens is depending on it.”_

 

_“....Queen Suzy, our waiting is getting us nowhere. If we just-”_

 

_“Enough, please.”_

 

_“....Of course…excuse me...”_

 

_~~~~_

“She said that?”

“Every word.”

The day had neared its end, the midnight moon glowed above the ocean with soft rays of light; enough to illuminate the tiny group of sirens resting upon the rocks off an island shore. Their siren brethren were fast asleep, only they were awake at this time of the night. They spoke in hushed tones, knowing that one word against their beloved queen aloud would risk their necks.

“She won’t even listen to you...why?” Hailey frowned, moving a stray piece of brown hair from her blue eyes.

“I don’t know...she won’t listen to reason!” Hannah muttered.

“This is useless, we’re sitting here on our asses. And we need to get out there to get Dan, THAT was our goal, not play ‘I Spy’ for several plus months…” Ash remarked under their breath.

“She IS our Queen, though...we have to follow her decisions.” Kate reminded them. The others grumbled.

“Our Queen has been keeping us from fighting back, like we should have to begin with. She wants to wait for an opportunity, but our opportunity has been front of us.” Hannah stated.

“He could really need us, it’s been far too long…” Hailey whispered.

“At this point, I even wonder if he’s still alive…” Ash shrugged.

“Guys, we can’t give up. Dan’s strong like any of us, and he’d do the same for any of you if someone was taken too. We gotta hang on longer.” Kate tried, placing a comforting hand on Ash’s shoulder.

“We can’t afford to wait, Kate. Suzy won’t listen to us.” Hailey replied “Our time is running shorter and shorter, especially after half our scouting team turned back to the East coves a month back. She’s losing us for a possible wild goose chase.”

Hannah groaned “I’m sick of waiting! We need to get out there, and get him back. OURSELVES.”

Kate’s eyes grew, and her scales stood up “Then, what do we do?”

“We can’t just sit idly by anymore. Dan could really need our help, more than ever.” Ash sighed.

“Well, what do you suggest, Hannah?” Kate asked. Hannah took in a lungful of air and began,

“We get a group together...we do what we’re trained to do...and fight them head on. We find a time to attack, at a time where they’ll be less of crewmembers, and jump them with everything we got in one swoop.” Hannah’s mouth curved into a scheming smile.

“That’s crazy!” Kate gasped.

“Crazy, but could it work?” Hailey questioned.

Ash tapped their chin “I’m curious…”

“We could get in serious trouble…” Kate mumbled.

“But it could be the answer!” Hannah grinned. “And, Suzy won’t have to retaliate if we take them out now. We’d be doing her a favor. Saving Dan, and helping her at the same time.”

“I’m game. Who else is in?” Ash smirked and nudged Kate gently on the shoulder. The siren blinked, and rubbed her arm “I don’t know…”

“Kate, you want to save Dan as much as any of us do.”

“I know…”

“Then...please, come with us...”

Kate took a breath, it was shaky but she nodded and faintly smiled “Okay...I’m in too…”

“And you, Hailey?” Ash asked.

The other sirens turned to their friend, who had been looking out at the ocean. The pirate’s ship was sitting right on the ocean, untouched. And not a single siren had gotten their hands on it.

Adrenaline pumped through her heart as she gave a coy smile, and faced her friends with eyes glowing bright blue “I like the sound of that…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A flash back chapter of sorts!! Time to recap real quick:
> 
> This chapter was made possible by the lovelies who contributed their amazing acting chops for the Sea Grumps mock trailer which you can find right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijdEF2WDGiU
> 
> Their "mersonas" are the sirens starring in this chapter, and they are the kickstarters to a much bigger story later on! So I wanna thank them with all my heart for helping out and letting me use their likenesses for the story! You can find each one on their tumblrs!
> 
> Ash: http://cinnamon-grump.tumblr.com/
> 
> Hailey: http://fruitynerd69.tumblr.com/
> 
> Hannah: http://rubberbangin.tumblr.com/
> 
> Kate: http://dannyaviclan.tumblr.com/
> 
> <3 you guys!


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